Tag: tomato

Oh. The Disappointment

The 2020 shitshow has extended to my tomato plants.  My harvest is deeply underwhelming.  I ate my first ones this past week.  In September.  Everyone else is getting tomatoes at the end of July.  I get them in September.  

Also – small.  Very small.  All three plants.  And I don’t think it’s just the fact that I’m in a race with the bastard squirrel to harvest them, so I tend to pick as soon as they show any sign of changing color rather than leaving them on the plant to ripen – which would be ideal.  I’ve only got 3 tomatoes of normal size.  Most are slightly bigger than a cherry when they turn red.  Some are cherry size.  None are beefsteak size.  sad tomato harvest

The plants seemed to thrive, despite being in a less than ideal sun location.  Of the three plants, the volunteer definitely did the best.  And honestly has amazeball tasting tomatoes.  It’s too bad I don’t know what it is.  But I will be saving seed.  But even though the plants grew and seem healthy, I think it’s the lack of sufficient sun that is making the harvest so weak.  

Despite all of that, I am honestly delighted in my misfits.  Eating tomatoes you grow yourself is lovely.  They did not live up to my dreams of their harvest, but I have a long record of dreaming one thing and experiencing another, so – not really surprising.  

Ripe Green Tomatoes

I have found manna from heaven and it ripe green tomatoes.  One of my friends that usually goes halvsies with me on tomato plants in the spring went to the farmers market and bought a couple of green tomatoes to try.  Ripe Green.  Not the unripe kind you use for fried green tomatoes.

She gave me one.  I ate it that night and it was like the heavens opened up.  So perfect.  Sweet.  But with plenty of tang.  It was just perfect.  I had sliced it for a sandwich.  I walked back into the kitchen and ate the last two slices over the sink like cookies.

So yesterday I went to that same farmers market with the intention of clearing them of all of the green tomatoes they would sell me.  But the booth that sold them didn’t bring any that day.  However it’s also a local farm with a store  and she thought I would find some there.  So I drove there.  Sold the last one that morning.

No idea when there would be more said the disinterested teenager.  Also did not know the name of the variety.  Teenagers be damned to hell.  Take an interest!!!  I have green tomato needs.

My friend said she would ask the owner the next time she goes by.  Because one thing is certain.  I’m growing this tomato next year.

I’ve done some research and it looks to me like it’s possibly called Green Giant.  Or Aunt Ruby’s German Green.  Or possibly Tennessee Green.  I have no idea.  And it matters.

So my week long craving for more of that tomato is thwarted.  Possibly for the next year if it is a determinate tomato.  Sigh.

I’m being forced to eat plain old red tomatoes.  I’ve had 5 in the last 24 hours.  I’m gorging on them.  I do love fresh ripe tomatoes.  Salt, Pepper and Jalapeno powder.  Jalapeno powder is a recent addition for me.  I recommend.  I don’t do much because I am not a fan of pain.  I’m OK with warm.  But the flavor is such a good pairing with tomato.  Hard Recommend.  You can also do Cayenne, but I like the flavor the jalapeno.

Anyway.  It’s been a hard week and this weekend I think I’m swinging back around.  Hopefully.  Maybe tomatoes are a treatment for depression?  Someone should do a study.