Well, I usually have over 20 varieties each season, but if I could
only grow four tomatoes, they would be:

Stupice - for earliest ripeness
Pruden's Purple - best old time flavor
Opalka -- most versatile and abundant, big, flavorful elongated paste
type.
Yellow Brandywine - most unusual fruity flavor.

Unfortunately, you probably can't find these at most ordinary garden
stores. I start my own seeds, usually bought from Tomato Growers
Supply Company - they have hundreds of unusual varieties to choose
from. Of the varieties supplied by garden stores, I like Better Boys.
I'm not very fond of cherry tomatoes -- too much tough skin for the
amount of inner tomato as far as I am concerned, but I do grow three
plants of Matt's Wild Cherry in a whiskey tub for ornamental purposes
and they are great to snack on. To tell the truth, with most varieties
of red tomatoes, I can't tell much difference in the taste tests at
the season end. If it's been a good year, they all taste good, with
minor flavor differences. If it's been cool and wet, they all taste
watered down and pretty much the same. From my experience, the growing
conditions: watering, temperature, soil composition, and fertilization
have more to do with the flavor than the variety chosen. The paste
tomatoes, like Roma, will give you more bulk for cooking, but unless
you plan on boiling down bushels of tomatoes for canned sauce, you can
use any variety of tomato for fresh salads or in cooked dishes.


"Jim" wrote in message ...
We are going to start a garden (small) we need 4 tomato types. What is
recommended for salads, and cooking ?
TNA
Jim




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