John McNeal scouted local farmers' markets to settle on what was lacking: A solid, Alaska soil-grown tomato with flavor. Emphasis on "flavor." (When I first moved here, I was warned I wouldn't be able to find a decent tomato. There's even a Tumblr feed dedicated to shameful local tomato poseurs: tomatoshaming.tumblr.com.)
McNeal currently offers 18 heirloom varieties, all soil-grown, using homemade fertilizer and compost. His favorite variety is the Black Crim, for its "complex sugar and acid balance." As for how he savors them, he says he's a "snacker and not much of a cook." Granted, with tomatoes this good, not much adornment is necessary, just a bit of good finishing salt and a drizzle of peppery extra-virgin olive oil. Or, as I've done here, you can simply roast them with other local vegetables to bring out their natural sweetness.