…tion and condition, the special flavor of the fruit, and sometimes, a bit of history or a family story. Twenty-five years ago, the best reference was, and still is, the two-volume Apples of New York, by S.A. Beach, written in 1905 for the State of New York Department of Agriculture. In painstaking detail and with many color illustrations, Beach and his associates described more than 1,000 apple varieties that were in cultivation at the time. For…

…cipe, I’ve roasted plum tomatoes topped with garlic, fresh parsley and thyme, but you can use any fresh herb you have on hand, or even some fresh breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Oven-Roasted Tomatoes Start to finish: 1 hour 30 minutes (15 minutes active) Makes 24 tomato halves 12 ripe plum tomatoes, washed, dried and halved lengthwise 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 1/4 cup ch…