In praise of the wonderful variety of tomatoes found at French markets 

There is little better to do in the heat of summer than visit a local market early in the morning and then sit in a shady café, perhaps with a pastis, a glass of wine or coffee, watching the world go by.

Your basket is bulging with seasonal goodies. Alongside the bread and cheese there could be aubergines, peaches, garlic, olives, fennel and, of course, tomatoes.

When we first moved to France we were very excited at the idea of being able to grow tomatoes outside with confidence. We planted the seeds, raised tiny plants under cover, transplanted them into the potager in May and then watched the magic happen. 

Since then, there have been good years and bad years, but we have never been disappointed and have always had a glut of beautiful tomatoes – of all shapes and sizes. 

Flavour and texture

While it is too late to plant tomato seeds or young plants, now is the moment to explore local markets for fabulous French tomatoes which are bursting with colour, flavour and texture. You can also use the opportunity to decide which varieties you would like to grow yourself next year – and even keep back a few seeds from a particular favourite in the hope the plant will grow true to type.

There is an enormous variety of tomato available these days; red ones of all shapes and sizes, yellow, green, sunset colours (look for an enormous tomato called Ananas), some with stripes and some that are almost black (Noire de Crimée). And be sure to look out for les variétés anciennes. You will often find these lumped together as an assortment of shapes and sizes, but if you are lucky you may come across named varieties. These include Coeur de Boeuf, a large, heavy, rounded fruit, or Cornue des Andes, which is a reference to the tomato’s South American origins. You may even find Potiron Ecarlate (Scarlet Pumpkin), a particular favourite of ours. 

Read more: Fruit and veg prices in France – are imports always cheaper?

Richness

What these wonderful heritage varieties have in common is a richness which mass-produced, greenhouse-raised tomatoes can never replicate. They are frequently enormous and heavy – one tomato could weigh half a kilo. The skin can be extremely fragile, making it impossible for them to survive the rigours of commercial distribution, and they are very dense. 

The inside is mostly juicy flesh with few seeds and few hollows. One big tomato when cooked with local olive oil and basil and accompanied by a crusty baguette can provide a delicious meal for two. 

With luck, at the height of the season, you will find a market stall selling them by the tray. Do not be put off by the quantity – buy a trayful and simmer them down into a rich sauce, then freeze or bottle them. You can then enjoy the taste of summer in the bleak days of winter. 

Another good way to bank that flavour is to dry tomatoes and keep them in a jar in your fridge, ready to dip into whenever you want to add some summer sunshine to your cooking. 

Marmande

Finally, I have to mention the Marmande tomato, named after a market town on the banks of the Garonne river. It was bred to ripen in the summer sun, on the floodplains of the Garonne. It is large, with a ribbed appearance, and tastes rich and sweet. 

Living near Marmande, we bought some seeds and grew these tomatoes in our first year here – and have done so on a regular basis ever since. They are suited to south-west France and grow well there. 

The town usually holds a tomato festival each summer, complete with competitions for the biggest or silliest or most flavoursome tomato. It even has a Brotherhood of the Tomato, whose members parade around the town in red robes as part of the celebrations. 

So, this summer pick up your basket, don your espadrilles and a sunhat and head down to your local market. Then do some tomato spotting and see just how many varieties of this amazing fruit you can find.