Tomato, Tomaato ~

Does it really matter? Either way it is good!







"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato."

Lewis Grizzard

Last year we planted two tomato plants in two half-wine barrels. Nothing happened. They didn't even grow! Charlie and I figured out it was the soil we used and I think I over watered them. This year Charlie has been in charge of the tomato plants and they are standing almost 6' tall! I have strict instructions not to have anything to do with them; I keep wanting to water them. Charlie said they like to be thirsty. Whatever he is doing, it is working. The cherry tomato plant has little green cherry tomato's all over it! The beefy tomato plant is getting ready to burst with tomato's too!

I may not know how to grow them, but I do love to eat them!

I have memories of when we lived in Merced, my parents turned 1/3 of our backyard into a huge vegetable garden. During the summer we would plant squash, tomato's, corn, strawberries, and several different type of melon's. I would swim all day and eat tomato's and strawberries almost as fast as they would turn their shade of red. My mom would yell from the house, "Angela, you are going to get sick!"

My mom would have us do our share of weeding the garden. If we didn't do our part, we couldn't go swimming. My mom was smart because it gave us a good incentive and kept the garden weeded (okay ~ it also taught us how to be responsible, to appreciate where our food came from and all the hard work it takes to provide it). However, my sister wouldn't always do her part, and therefore would not get to go swimming. My aunt who also lived with us and is not that much older than me, would not always want to go swimming; she burned very easily. Do you know how lonely it is to swim by yourself when your little? I would end up doing my sister's part so she could go swimming, or rather I had someone to swim with (ulterior motives). Let's just say she learned quickly how to manipulate the situation, taking advantage and pretty much not have to do any weeding.

I can remember my mom and dad being proud, besides the meat entree', it all came from our garden. My mom would cut beef stake tomato's into thick slices adding sliced red onions and cucumbers, putting this all in a dish and pouring a homemade red vinegar dressing over it. This would marinate for a good part of the day. My dad would come home from work and BBQ steaks as my mom prepared the rest of the meal, picking from the garden.

Wow ~ all that from a tomato!

As I compare our two little wine-barrels to the garden I grew up with, it brings pleasant thoughts of that sweet taste of summer and reminds me to embrace the summer as it unfolds before me.

:)