Julia Childs

Early to midseason variety taking about 78 days to ripen. Indeterminate vines. Named after Julia Child, the “French Chef” world renowned tv personality, actor, and cook. When selecting the tomato that would carry her name, the best-tasting tomato from a collection handed down for generations by different families from around the country were given to Gary Ibsen. He describes the story below: “Early in 2001, while enjoying lunch with Julia Child at Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley, California, I told her about my having in my tomato seed trials several un-named varieties. I followed by asking her, “If I’m able to grow an heirloom tomato that’s good enough to name after you, what kind would you like it to be?” I suspected she might say, red, pink, or yellow. However, after just a moment’s hesitation, Julia looked at me and replied, “Tasty, my dear.” I wanted to pay tribute to Julia for her generosity to me and the rest of the world’s food lovers. From some of the many heirloom tomato seeds sent to me over the years by families who had grown their favorites for generations, I grew a small number of un-named varieties in my annual trials, the seeds for which may have come in an envelope with a note like, “our favorite tomato for you to try.” I anticipated that I would eventually name the better tasting ones. During our 2001 harvest I hosted a tasting of my four preferred tomato varieties. The one selected as ?best tasting? I named, “Julia Child.” Each year until her death in 2004, Dagma and I delivered to her a case of her namesake tomatoes to her home in Montecito, CA, which she shared with friends, saving for herself some tomatoes for her favorite tomato ?samich? (white bread, thick slice of tomato, mayo and a spray of salt). ‘Julia Child’ is an open-pollinated, heirloom tomato. The tall, indeterminate, potato-leaf plant produces abundance of 4?, deep-pink, lightly-fluted, beefsteak fruits that have the kind of robust tomatoey flavors and firm, juicy flesh that invites tomato feasting and seed-saving, with more than enough acidity and earthy nuances to balance its sweet, fruity flavors”.

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