Summer Food: The Tastes of Summer: Tomatoes

They have charming names like Arkansas Traveler, Aunt Ruby’s German Green, Cherokee Purple and White Wonder. Their colors range from dusky bronze to ghostly pale. Their flavors might be salty, tart or sweet, and they can be the size of a marble or a softball. We’re talking about heirloom tomatoes: thin-skinned, sometimes homely-looking, always delicious. They don’t travel well, so serious tomato seekers travel to them. Expect them in abundance in mid-July at Renninger’s Farm (924 2nd Avenue, Royersford, 610-948-3238; renningersfarm.com), where the farm market is open from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. Reading Terminal Market (12th and Arch streets, 215-922-2317; readingterminalmarket.org) offers a good selection at both the Fair Food Farm Stand (open Thursday through Saturday, on the Arch Street side) and Livingood’s (open on Saturday, in the center of the market).