);

Bellestar, so far as I can see, is the correct name for this tomato, although it is more often spelled "Bellstar". It was bred in Ontario, at the Smithfield Experimental Farm in 1981, by Jack Metcalf. Its an open-pollinated variety that was bred to provide an early, determinate processing tomato. I just ran across it last year for the first time, and I have to say Im impressed.

I normally prefer heirloom tomatoes - Im a sucker for the romance and variety of them, I admit - but as someone who cans a lot of tomatoes these have some real advantages. We acquired them last year from a farmer who let us go out and pick them ourselves, as he had had no time to deal with his tomatoes. It was also a terrible, terrible year for tomatoes, having been cool and wet throughout the season. We were thus surprised to squelch out to his field and find it absolutely stuffed with good, ripe tomatoes. Nice!

The plants had produced so many tomatoes that they had collapsed, but that didnt seem to slow them down noticeably. We had the same experience this year with our Bellestar plants grown from seed we saved from last year. The plants are quite short and didnt grow high enough to be supported by our modified Florida weave system. A regular tomato cage would actually have worked well to support these. It had better be a sturdy one though; as noted, these are just loaded with tomatoes. They didnt quite ripen all at once for us, but we did get them off in 2 waves a week or two apart. They are now finished for the season and pulled out, leaving the space free to plant our garlic. Nice!

A number of descriptions of Bellestar regard them as good enough to eat fresh. We didnt think so; not compared to Amish Paste or Opalka paste tomatoes and certainly not when compared to our favourite tomatoes for fresh use. We also didnt think their cooked flavour was quite as good as those first two either, but on the other hand we rated the flavour higher than any of the Italian style paste tomatoes we grew this year, whether hybrid or heirloom. Nice!

Bellestar tomatoes are about 4 to 6 ounces each, a little rounder or more heart-shaped than most paste tomates; a good size. They are listed as taking 72 days to maturity. Bellestar is described as resistant to verticillium wilt, but it is probably not otherwise too disease resistant. However, we have had no problems. Its also described as resistant to cracking and easy to pick cleanly (neither stems or holes left when pulled off) and we found both those things to be true. Because the plants are so compact, this is a great tomato for people with limited garden space or even for growing in containers. They did equally well, as far as I can see, in a cold wet summer and in a hot dry summer.

In short, Im impressed... very impressed... and we will definitely be growing these again next year in larger quantities.

I have two tickets to give away for a childrens foraging and cooking session on Monday 12th August at the Edinburgh Book Festival, with Fi Bird of The Foragers Kitchen. 

Read my REVIEW of the Foragers Kitchen with recipe for New Potatoes in Ramps and Lemon  I also made Honeysuckle Syrup from the book and it features in  Poached Apricots with Honeysuckle Syrup.

Fi Bird is a graduate of St Andrews university, mother of six and a past Masterchef finalist who has always had a passion for cooking. She is self-taught, with an approach to food based on knowledge of tight budgets and limited time. Campaigning for healthier diets and for cookery teaching at Primary schools, she writes articles and recipes extensively for newspapers and magazines. She is a member of the Guild of Food Writers, and also develops recipes for Tern TV.

Fi and Dr Stephen Bird are the founders of StirrinStuff, which works in partnerships to educate children about food. StirrinStuff is committed to sustainable development and ethical best practice. Dr Bird has recently completed a course in human nutrition. In May 2008 Matthew Fort wrote that "Fi acts like a frontier food marshal. She gallops from school to school, from community to community, bringing with her experience, passion and boundless enthusiasm." when reviewing the campaign for his Round Britian with a fork column in the Guardian Food Magazine.

Here are the details of the cookery session:

Foraging for Food with Fi Bird

Create culinary delights with expert forager and cook Fi Bird. Whether you live in a large city, in open countryside or by the coast, there are plenty of delicious ingredients growing in the wild. And once you have brought your bounty home, Fi has hundreds of recipes you can use. Tasty treats await!


How to enter the Giveaway

Just follow the instructions on the Rafflecopter widget below.  The prize winner will be contacted by email on Friday 9th August.  I will not publish the name of the winner until after the event but will pass on the name of the winner to Fi Bird to ensure entry to the event.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was not paid to run this giveaway, all opinions are my own. 

Im probably pushing things a bit for most Ontarians, but Im getting some great overwintered greens out of our hoophouses right now: spinach, arugula and miners lettuce being the main ones. I hope if you have access to a really good farmers market these will be showing up soon. Arugula is one of the fastest growing greens out there, ready in a little more than a month of growing weather, and it should be available all summer, although best when its not too hot.

This is a fairly thick, spready pesto, so either spread it, or thin it down with a little water, broth, yogurt, or a little more of the oil to get it to the consistency you would like. If you use all arugula, it will be fairly peppery, but half spinach will make it quite mild.

6 to 8 servings
20 minutes prep time


4 cups packed arugula leaves
OR 2 cups packed arugula leaves
and 2 cups packed spinach leaves
1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1 head garlic (4 to 6 cloves)
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 to 1/3 cup sunflower seed (or olive) oil
salt & pepper to taste

 Wash the arugula well in cold water, and pull off the leaves, discarding the stalks and any tough stems. If you are using spinach, wash it well and pick it over. Drain the arugula (and spinach) thoroughly.

Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, until lightly browned. Stir frequently. Turn them out onto a plate to cool as soon as they are toasted.

Peel and trim the garlic cloves. Grate the cheese.

Put the greens, pumpkin seeds, garlic and cheese into a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. Add the sunflower seed oil, and process again until smoothly blended. Stop and scrape down the sides of the processor as needed.

Serve with pasta, gnocchi, potatoes, or generally use it in the same way you would use basil pesto.




Last year at this time I made Chicken with Herb Dumplings and  Curried Roasted Parsnip & Apple Soup.