Not all of the tomatoes made it because not all of them ripened in time for the second Tomato Taste Panel event sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension Macon County master gardeners.

Many of the samples offered came from the Master Gardeners' award-winning plot on the grounds at the WAND television station, said Richard Zerfowski, who chairs the volunteers at the garden site.

This growing season presented difficulties for tomato growers, such as hot, dry days and blossom end rot, said Jennifer Schultz Nelson, unit educator horticulture with the Macon County office.

But the tasters didn't seem to mind because there still were many varieties offered.

With a platefull of tomato samples in varying colors sitting in front of her, Ella Boyd of Decatur said, "Really, truly they're all good."

But Williene Austin and Elnora Flinn felt there was something a bit different in the taste of certain yellow varieties. The one taste sample that wasn't available, joked Flinn, was fried green tomatoes.

"My tomatoes were lousy this year," Jane Lane of Forsyth said.

As for her personal choices, she noted Gurney's Burgermaster hybrid, Gurney Girl II and the Illini Star. But of the Health Kick Hybrid, "You can just kick that out," she added.

On the other hand, Wilma Gepford of Decatur felt the Napa Grape Hybrid was a really good choice.

Lane and Gepford learned about the tasting through their memberships in groups which are a part of the Macon County Home and Community Education Association.

Here are some of the more nontraditional varieties offered for tasting:

- Yellow Magic - at first glance, it appears to be a yellow pepper because the shape is the same

- Wapsipinicon Peach - a small fruit, great taste with skin slightly fuzzy like a peach

- Pink Accordion - semi-hollow and good for stuffing, but when sliced horizontally, it resembles a flower

- Pink Grapefruit - yellow on the outside with blushing pink on the inside, it even has a citrus overtone in taste.

Arlene Mannlein can be reached at amannlein@herald-review.com or at 421-6976.

Recipes

After the second Tomato Taste Panel sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension Macon County, Phyllis Herring, extension educator with the EFNEP/ FNP program, gathered these recipes with fresh tomatoes in their ingredients.

This coarse-textured salsa is more of a relish or Pico de Gallo. The ingredients can be finely diced or use a medium dice for chunky salsa. Serve with traditional tortilla chips or use as a side dish with grilled meat or anywhere you want a bright, tart, savory accompaniment.

Fresh Garden Salsa

2 large ripe, red slicing tomatoes, cored and chopped

1 small white onion, chopped

1 green onion, top included, chopped

1 to 3 jalapeno peppers, finely chopped

1 /4 cup cilantro leaves, minced

Juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon salt

Using a serrated knife, chop tomatoes. If using plum tomatoes, add 2 tablespoons water.

In a medium bowl, toss together the tomatoes, onions, peppers and cilantro. Squeeze lime juice over the mixture and sprinkle on the salt. Allow to rest 30 minutes before serving to allow salt to draw juice from the tomatoes. Stir again just before serving.

Makes 8 servings, about 2 cups.

Nutrition data per serving: 15 calories; no fat; no cholesterol; 6mg sodium; 3g carbohydrates; 1g fiber; 1g protein.

Source: www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/tomato1.html

Fried green tomatoes are a Southern tradition made famous by the movie of the same name. They are so popular there that gardeners plant extra slicing tomatoes to be harvested green for this recipe.

Fried Green Tomatoes

4 green tomatoes, cut in 1 /4-inch slices

1 cup flour

1 egg beaten with 1 /4 cup skim milk

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Canola oil for frying

Assemble ingredients. Spread flour on a sheet of waxed paper or on a plate. Put the egg wash in a shallow dish.

Spread the cornmeal on a sheet of waxed paper or plate, add salt and pepper, and mix well.

Dredge the tomato slices in flour and shake off the excess.

Dip each slice in the egg wash and drain off excess, and then coat with the cornmeal, shaking off excess gently. Place on a tray and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy (preferably cast iron) skillet over a medium flame. When hot, add the tomato slices. Do not overcrowd the skillet. Cook several minutes, until golden, then turn. Drain on paper towels and serve while still hot.

Makes 5 servings.

Nutrition data per serving: 392 calories; 17g fat (2g saturated fat); 38g cholesterol; 503mg sodium; 52g carbohydrates; 4g fiber; 10g protein.

Source: www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/tomato1.html

Gazpacho

3 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 /2 cup cucumber, seeded and chopped

1 /2 cup green pepper, chopped

2 green onions, sliced

2 cups low-sodium vegetable juice cocktail

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 /2 teaspoon dried basil

1 /4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for several hours.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition data per serving: 56 calories; no fat; no cholesterol; 93mg sodium; 11g carbohydrates; 2g fiber; 2g protein.

Source: www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/diabetesrecipes

Grilled Tomato Kebabs

36 small tomatoes, such as Cherry, Ping Pong or Yellow Pear

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

6 wood or metal skewers

Wash and drain tomatoes. Using a paper towel, dry each or spread on towels and allow to air dry so the oil will stick to the skins.

Place the dry tomatoes in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with oregano and pepper. Toss to coat tomatoes.

Thread 6 tomatoes, spaced at least an inch apart, on each of the 6 skewers.

Brush hot grill grate with oil to prevent sticking. Arrange skewers on grate. Grill 2 to 4 minutes. Turn and grill the other side 1 to 2 minutes. Remove skewers and sprinkle with salt, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.

Cook's note: Small tomatoes such as cherry, current or pear tomatoes are best eaten raw or briefly cooked. They are perfect for skewering and grilling because they do not fall apart, unless overcooked. If you are using wood skewers, soak them for 30 minutes in cold water before using.

Nutrition data per serving: 44 calories; 3g fat no saturated fat); no cholesterol; 9mg sodium; 5g carbohydrates; 1g fiber; 1g protein.

Source: www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/tomato1.html

Tomato Cabbage Salad

1 small head cabbage, sliced thinly

2 medium tomatoes, cut in cubes

1 cup sliced radishes

1 /4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or lemon juice)

1 /2 teaspoon black pepper

1 /2 teaspoon red pepper

2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped

In a large bowl, combine the cabbage, tomatoes and radishes. In another bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients. Pour over the vegetables

Makes 8 servings.

Nutrition data per serving: 50 calories; 2g fat (no saturated fat); no cholesterol; 100mg sodium; 8g carbohydrates; 3g fiber; 2g protein.

Source: www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/diabetesrecipes

Pineapple Salsa

1 3 /4 cups diced fresh pineapple

4 green onions, sliced

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

3 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Juice of 1 fresh lime

Combine and toss all ingredients except vinegar, oil and lime juice. Mix vinegar, oil and lime juice. Add to other ingredients and stir.

Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving

Makes 20 servings

Nutrition data per serving: 15 calories; no fat; no cholesterol; no sodium; 3g carbohydrates; no fiber; no protein.

Source: www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/diabetesrecipes