Episode 155 - The Tomato Man Cometh (Breaking Bloody - Part 1)

In this lively, in-depth discussion with tomato expert Craig LeHoulier, some of the topics we discuss include: The history of the tomato - from its origins in the Americas, to its domination of the European culinary scene, to its current commodity status at the supermarket. How Craig left the pharma industry to pursue his keen interest in gardening, which led to a home garden bursting with forgotten tomato varieties and a passion for flavor. The story of the Seed Savers Exchange and how heirloom plants were saved from the verge of the void. What makes an heirloom plant different from a hybrid (spoiler alert - it's not as simple as it might seem) How Craig thinks about the flavor attributes and culinary applications of different tomato varieties. The science and history of tomato juice and how it plays into the story of The Bloody Mary The crazy and largely untapped possibilities for scrambling our concept of what a Bloody Mary is (and what it could be) How the Cherokee Purple tomato got its name And much, much more.