Now that summer tomatoes from your own garden are nothing but a memory, Backyard Farms comes along with a new greenhouse-grown variety designed to help satisfy your tomato cravings all winter.

They’re called Somerset Pinks. They aren’t Gwen Stefani pink, but they are lighter in color than other beefsteak tomatoes, and sweeter too.

I tried a slice at the Big Eat at Harvest on the Harbor last week, and came away wishing I had some fresh mozzarella from K. Horton’s, Lebanese olive oil from Rosemont Market, foccaccia from Whole Foods and a few basil leaves from Olivia’s Garden for a caprese sandwich.

Backyard Farms has other recipe suggestions on its website, such as a tomato cobb salad from chef/cookbook writer Mary Ann Esposito. She halves a Somerset Pink tomato and stuffs it with shredded romaine, arugula, endive, avocado, blue cheese, crumbled bacon, diced hard-boiled eggs, cubed chicken breast or ham, chives and parsley. It’s topped with a citrusy-sweet dressing. (For the recipe, go to backyardfarms.com and click on “View them all,” in the recipe section.)

Somerset Pinks have been popular in Asia and parts of Europe, according to Backyard Farms, but have not been easy to get in this country. Backyard Farms is growing them hydroponically in its 42-acre greenhouse in Madison.

You can find them in Hannaford stores in Maine and New Hampshire.


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