'Julia Child' is an open-pollinated, heirloom tomato. The tall, indeterminate, potato-leaf plant produces lots of 4-inch, deep-pink, lightly-fluted, beefsteak fruits that have the kind of robust tomatoey flavors and firm, juicy flesh that invites tomato feasting and seed-saving. It's not a simple, sugary sweet variety, but has a bold, straight-forward character in its taste, with more than enough acidity and earthy nuances to balance its sweet, fruity flavors.

 

The following story is taken from Gary Ibsen's (creator of the variety) TomatoFest website: "Early in 2001, while having lunch with Julia Child at Bernardus Lodge in Carmel Valley, California, I told her about my having in my tomato seed trials several un-named varieties. I followed by asking her, "If I'm able to grow an heirloom tomato that's good enough to name after you, what kind would you like it to be?" I suspected she would say, "Red", or "Beefsteak",or "Yellow." However, after just a moment's hesitation, Julia looked at me and replied, "Tasty, my dear."

 

I wanted to pay tribute to this magnificent human being, for the many years she was abundantly generous to me and the rest of the world's food lovers with her culinary skills, good-humor and friendship. I said to her, "Julia, if I were a songwriter my tribute would have to be a love song. If I were a painter, lavished in texture and color. But I'm a grower of tomatoes, so we will see what occurs."

 

Within the hundreds of varieties of heirloom tomatoes I've grown over the past few years were a few un-named varieties that I grew each year, the seeds of which had been handed down within different families from around the country for generations. From some of the seeds sent to me over the years, tucked into letters from gardeners wanting to share their legacy, I grew a small number of plants for trial. Eventually they were to be named. In 2001 I planted four of my favorite un-named varieties and of these I selected the best-tasting tomato variety and named it 'Julia Child'."