Broomcorn

At a Seedy Saturday in 2016, a lady came up to me and told me that her mother-in-law had a tomato variety called Mon Plaisir that stopped being available in seed catalogues for ages, but that she keeps growing year after year. We chat a bit and exchange contact informations. I end up forgetting about it until, a few months later, I receive a letter in the mail. Inside, a beautiful card containing a paper on which a dozen seeds were attached. The seeds of the lost Mon Plaisir tomato. This is what Mrs. Frappier told me when I reached out to her, after receiving her letter: "We use to order our seeds through the WHPerron catalogue, and another company. I think it was called Norseco. We were growing tomatoes in greenhouses in Abitibi, in Matamic close to Lasarre. It was the Frappier greenhouses (serres Frappier) in 1976. We grow a couple seedlings to sell, but it was mostly for vegetable production. I really like those tomatoes, they would make nice long cherry tomato trusses. We stopped producing in the early 2000s, and I had already been saving my own seeds for about 20 to 25 years because we couldn't find the variety in catalogues anymore. I really couldn't find it anywhere. I think it was replaced by either Sweet 100 or Sweet mignonne. I did taste it, but I definitely prefer Mon Plaisir." (Free translation) It is now our turn to share this discovery with you. A huge thanks to the Frappier family for preserving this variety.   Package: 30 seeds

Indeterminate. This red currant tomato was discovered in the Châteauguay area in the 1940s. Families and children love its numerous little fruits. The true Petit Moineau bears 7 tiny tomatoes in every cluster. Do not confuse it with an imitator! Package: 40 seeds  

Dark as the streets of Montreal deep into the night. Early, just as the arrival of winter over Quebec. Easy, to be grown in the field as well as in a pot on a Plateau balcony. Born in our field from a cross between 2 varieties, Black Crime and Teton de Venus, this tomato kept the dark colour of the former and the shape and density of the latter. It however yields much earlier than its parents, and produces much more. The variety is quite stable, but might still display some irregular shapes. We are keeping up our breeding work with the hope of creating a perfect tomato. The fruits are slightly smaller than a tennis ball. Our team carried a taste test and found a ...steak flavour! The foliage is regular, and the plant is not prone to diseases. Package: 35 seeds. Germination rate: 100%

Black Crimea, or Black Krim, is a very ancient yet still popular black tomato variety. It was rediscovered in the 90s on the Crimean Peninsula. A beefsteak type of tomato, it grows massive fruits; they are about 10 cm wide. The tomatoes' color is an unique mix of purple, red, black, and red.   Package: 35 seeds Germination rate: 100%

This tomato dates back to 1869 according to some sources. It is an Italian tomato with a very soft taste and only little juice. Large productive plants, bearing 4 to 5 fruits per truss. The tomatoes themselves have a funny shape and a light yellow color, with just a dash pink blush. Ideal for tomato paste, sauces and canning.   Package: 30 seeds

Big bright orange tomato with a smooth skin. Very productive and flavorful, doesn't crack. This variety was gifted to us by René Paquet. It is delicious in sandwiches as much as in recipes. Quebec variety, should not be mixed up with the 'Big Orange' tomato from the United States, which is ribbed. Package: 30 seeds   Photo credit: Gerd Fraeyman for Tomato Fifou