Glad to hear you got some of the crosses you wanted. Very few of my crosses were successful this year, but I did get a couple I wanted which are nearly ripe. I managed to get a cross of Zolotoe Serdtse X Black Early F1, with a determinate black cherry F2, to help with my space issues for growout. 1 of two determinate is a much better ratio, and 1 of two black is okay for me too. Not sure how fruit size genetics will play out, since one of the 'cherry' parents was not a cherry, but I'm okay with searching for bigger fruit down the line if I can just get the growth habit that I wanted.
I was pretty much disappointed in my hopes of earliness in F1's this year. Only a couple showed any sign of the desired 'heterosis'. Most had flowering dates = the later parent. Looks like I'll be doing selection for earliness in the F2 next spring as well.
Nice to hear you tasted a tomato that you liked!
I'm fond of the bicolour taste myself. Sweet and fruity without the intense lycopene punch. (at least, that's what I think makes reds taste so different). I grew Northern Lights this year to compare with Oaxacan Jewel PL, and it was later and less productive but otherwise very similar fruit in colour, taste and texture. Most other bicolours that I've read about are 'late' so it's hard to find space to gamble on em...