The more you know, the less you know is one of these true truths as Donald Rumsfeld would say.
Going back on the tomato trail before getting a first look at The Tomato Festival offered by some New York restaurants in August 2009, I unearthed the Pomme d'Amour.
Blame it on You Say Tomato, I Say 'Love Apple by Diane Roberts (NPR, July 26) which made me want to know more.
In 'Pomme d'Amour' Tomato (Thomas Jefferson, Monticello site) I learned the following:
"The first tomatoes grown in Europe were called "love apples" because they were related botanically to the mandrake, or "love plant," which was noted in the Bible for its reputed aphrodisiac qualities. In 1553, Swiss naturalist Konrad Gessner depicted the small-fruited "love apple" in a watercolor, and identified it in Latin as "poma amoris."
Pomme d'Amour (French for "love apple") is similar to these small-fruit tomatoes that were mostly grown for ornament; however, the mild, pinkish-red tomatoes are ideal for garden snacking, salads, and drying."
Thomas Jefferson-Monticello actually sells seeds for these Love Apples most years but not in 2009.
I used their packaging above as an illustration.
Are tomatoes really an aphrodisiac?
Add them to the list with oysters, asparagus and chocolate?