Garten highlighted Balsam Farms in a post on Instagram in August 2024, where she shared a picture of a tart she made using tomatoes from the farm. "Balsam Farm in Amagansett has the best tomatoes and I'm obsessed with using them in everything!" she wrote in the caption. But, Garten isn't the only one who loves the stand. Located just outside of Amagansett - a sleepy hamlet known for its rich agricultural community -
Piled next to lines and lines of identical Roma and Beefsteak tomatoes, the colors and lumps of heirlooms give way to a host of questions. What exactly is an heirloom tomato anyway? Do they taste better? Or are those misshapen tomatoes just another form of visual produce marketing? The answer to that last question is "kind," but in the best way possible. Ultimately, heirloom tomatoes' unique shapes and colors are their natural form because they were passed over for genetic modification.
