Tomatoes:
1. Cherry: Isis Candy, the sweetest tomato. In my climate, I have people complaining it's way too sweet. It's the only heirloom I grow (I grow Sungella, Sungold and Suncherry)
2. Early: Jaune Flamme, the favorite of many I gave this tomato. Very sweet, nicely tangy, juicy and so refreshing. Also, Stupice - Full flavored smallish, early tomato, much better tasting though less productive and less disease resistant than the rubbery Early Girls
3. Unusual: Cherokee Purple and Marizol Gold - in my climate, both do well. They are so different, but both are striking in appearance and taste. CP is richer and more complex with a full tomato taste; MG is sweet and fruity with a less noticeable tomato taste. I also liked Big White Pink Stripes, similar to MG but more acidic, though not very prolific or disease resistant.
4. Large/Main Season: Brandywine slightly over Marianna's Peace. Last year, MP stole the show, this year, Brandywine Sudduth Strain was slightly richer in taste, aroma, and juicier. Both were excellent, though neither and are particularly productive with less than 8-10 tomatoes each weighting 8 oz. to 1.5 lbs. I also planted Old German, Aunt Ruby's German,

Bell Peppers - Big Bertha, wow, nice 4' x 4" size and larger, withy great green to red color, though all were excellent (Cadice, Purple, Chocolate, Valencia, and California Wonder, White).

Eggplant - Pintung Long, great taste and the best for grilling on the barbie, Rosa Bianca: mild flavored, excellent taste, and as a bonus, incredible looking. I also grew a Casper and Japanese Long.

Cabbage: Red Acre and Early Jersey Wakefield, as erly varieties planted in March, headed great and quickly with a mild, sweet flavor

Carrot - Nantes, really sweet and a treat if grown in well-worked, softer soil and regular watering.

Corn - Shame on me, I didn't plant an heirloom because I really like the SE bi-colored types. For heirlooms, I still think Golden Bantam and Silver Queen are the best in taste, though you really have to cook them in minutes to get their sugar content before turning to starch. Will probably plant Minnesota Midget in November as a gamble.

Melons (planted in a friend's plot at the community garden)

Charentais, Haogen, and Galia. All three are outstanding and I'm loving the ones still in the fridge. Am getting ready to plant a new crop. Three hybrids: Passport, Ambrosia, and Butterscotch Sweetie. Without a doubt, Sweetie was the sweetest, most popular produce I grew this year. I am growing its seed to see what the F2 will produce.

BTW, we have dry climate except for the morning fog during coller months, i.e. up to June. It was a warmer than usual spring, but still near the coast where I am, the temps were moderate (75 high, 60 low) for most of the growing season.
I know the taste of some melons are greatly affected by excessive rain during ripening, as well as humidity. I'm sure some will have totally different results.

The Montreal melon didn't handle the cool May, June and early July climate, so it's got mildew. Will plant again next year in July instead of late April.

I also grew Ha'ogen and felt they tasted an awful lot like honeydew used to when I was a kid! How did you like your Charentais? I've had to replant for fall and hope everyone can make it by the time it's cool (late November or December). Sometimes you can get away with melons here in the fall.

By the way, Silver Queen is a hybrid (and really great corn!).

Phil

Melons:
Butterscotch/Sweetie #6

Honorable Mention:
Suyo (Armenian Cucumber/melon) - extremely productive & good

Field corn, white- Hickory King, It produced great despite one of the worst droughts we've ever had. I want to try Boone County White also.

Sweet Corn- Golden Bantum, It grows like weeds and tastes good, not to sweet. It tastes like corn instead of like the nasty, super dooper, sugary ehanced hybrids.

Beans- An unknown cranberry type I bought at the hardware store from a bulk bin four years ago. It produces very well and makes a good soup or snap bean. Yellow eye also does well here as a dry bean.

Tomatos- Red Brandywine which I originaly got from Heirloom Seeds in Pennsylvania. It's the best tasting tomato I've ever had.

Winter Squash- Walthum Butternut. It yeilds well, has good disease resistance, tastes good in pies.

Summer Squash- Yellow Crookneck. It is easy to grow and tastes great.

Potatoes- Anything from the grocery store that has a lot of sprouting eyes. Some people say don't plant those old potatoes from the grocery store but I've never had a problem with them. For some reason they just seem to grow as well as any seed potatoe sold at the hardware store.

Peanuts- Raw Virginia jumbo peanuts sold at the grocery store as food. For seed it works just fine.

Tobacco- Pennsylvania Seedleaf varieties also known as Pennsylvania Broadleaf which is better than any I've found for cigar filler, binder or wrapper. Virginia Gold, It's just one of the best for any type of filler. Any type of Burley filler, binder or wrapper.

Pumpkins- New England pie pumkin. It produces well and is strong. It also tastes good. I want to try the Winter Luxury Pie variety though. I think it might taste even better but the New England Pie has done well for me.

Okra- I had very good luck with a dwarf hybrid but you can't save seed. I think I will stick with the Clemson Spineless from now on as it also does well and I can save the seed.