Mt Franklin Organics
BY RICHARD CORNISH
It has been an incredible year for tomatoes. Image by Richard Cornish. All Rights Reserved.
It has been a remarkable season for tomatoes, and our organic tomato grower Florian Hofinger has been working since early spring to make sure the summer crop will be at its best. The former chef turned organic farmer has a beautiful property sitting on a saddle under the summit of Mount Franklin.
He moved here 14 years ago when there were just a handful of trees on the property. Now there are thousands, including native trees for wildlife and an orchard of productive fruit trees. Here he grows over fifty types of heritage tomatoes that bear names like Rouge de Marmande, Black Krim, Tigerella, and Green Zebra. Tomatoes with such fine flesh and thin skins that they could never stand a trip in the back of a supermarket truck, but perfect for a small store like Blake Family Grocers.
He says to use the tomatoes within a day or two of purchase, cut them, sprinkle with a little salt and extra virgin olive oil, and perhaps some basil leaves. Slice and layout alternatively with slices of fresh buffalo mozzarella and basil leaves. Grill some bread, rub with a cut garlic clove, rub with a ripe tomato cut in half, sprinkle with salt, and drizzle with oil to make pan Catalan. Drape a fine slice of jamon over this to complete this delicious picture.