Fresh tomatoes, anyone?

[Freedom]

This year I planted a variety of heirloom tomatoe plants. Some are determinate, others are indeterminate. Yesterday, Dad and I picked fresh tomatoes! Look at what we got in less than 10 minutes:
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2010/Aug%209%20Tomatoes%20n%20Willy%20w%20Dad/IMG_3217Small.jpg

I have Early Girl, Beefsteak aka Red Ponderosa, Brandywine, Grape and Cherry sizes (I forget which varieties!), Red Plum, and Aunt Gertie’s (that is the yellow /orange one).
http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2010/Aug%209%20Tomatoes%20n%20Willy%20w%20Dad/IMG_3221Small.jpg

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2010/Aug%209%20Tomatoes%20n%20Willy%20w%20Dad/IMG_3220Small.jpg

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2010/Aug%209%20Tomatoes%20n%20Willy%20w%20Dad/IMG_3219Small.jpg

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q57/sfsamm/2010/Aug%209%20Tomatoes%20n%20Willy%20w%20Dad/IMG_3218Small.jpg

Tomato plants have two basic growth habits: determinate and indeterminate. Determinate tomatoes only grow to a specific height and ripen their fruit in one big flush, which comes in handy if you want to can tomatoes or make sauce. Roma and paste tomatoes tend to be determinate, as do varieties marketed as "patio" tomatoes. Indeterminate tomatoes keep growing all season, produce fruit continuously until you either rip them out of the garden or they are knocked down by frost, and they need super sturdy cages.

[Lilith Cherry]

They look wonderful! Makes me want to eat them with basil leaves and wholemeal bread mmmm!

I am so looking forward to gtowing tomatoes again next yeat now I am back in Canada.

[Daisy and Delilah]

Good Grief, Sandie!!!! I am so impressed and envious!! I'm paying a fortune for them and you have the bumper crop of the year....and.....your's taste good. You Go Sandie and Dad!!!!:)

[Freedom]

Thank you , Lilith and Terry.


.your's taste good.
I asked a friend if she wanted some. She said,

"You mean tomatoes that actually TASTE like tomatoes? OF COURSE I WANT SOME!" He he heeee

We have been harvesting tomatoes for over a week now. I have 18 vines in that small veggie garden.

[Taz_Zoee]

That looks almost exactly like the picture I took yesterday after Bruce picked tomatoes from the garden. I'll have to post the picture later when I get home.

He planted Celebrity and Best Boy tomatoes. We have tomatoes coming out our ears!!!

[Killearn Kitties]

Don't they look good!

These tomatoes I paid a fortune for at lunchtime (along with basil and mozarella) after YOU posted your Caprese salad pictures, better taste good!

[Barbara]

Wow- I remember the taste of fresh tomatoes. And I can see these got plenty of sun :)

[MoonandBean]

Nice!!!!!!!!!

[Randi]

Wow, that's quite a few tomatoes and they look yummy! :p

The big ones you could use for Gazpacho. Here's a good recipe:

2 big slices of white bread (crusts removed)
4-6 large ripe tomatoes
2 small green peppers
1/2 cucumber
1/2 onion
1-2 cloves garlic
70 ml. olive oil
1-2 teaspoons salt
4-5 table spoons winegar (white)
1/4 - 1/2 liter of water

Put the bread to soak in water.
Peel the tomatoes (dip them in boiling water for 10 seconds). Cut them into chunks and put them into the blender with the peppers, cucumber, onion and garlic, all cut in pieces. Whirl until pureed and strain into a large bowl.
Squeese the water from the bread and puree in the blender, then add the salt and vinegar. With the motor running add the oil in a slow stream until corporated into the bread. Ladle some of the tomato back into the processor, then mix with the bowl of tomato puree. Stir in the water and adjust the seasoning.

Chill until serving time!

Garnish with finely chopped, tomatoes, onions, peppers, cucumbers, hardboiled eggs and croutons. (use the yummy Italian ones!)

[lvpets2002]

:eek: WoW just look at all of those Yummies.. I just love mini & romo tomatoes.. I will be right there..:D

[Freedom]

Thanks, Randi!

Oh yes, yum, yum, yum~!

[Daisy and Delilah]

I remember the days when I grew tomatoes. They were soooooooo goooooooood. I know you will enjoy them, Sandie and Dad!!:D

[cassiesmom]

Yummy, yummy! Time for basil and mozzarella cheese, again! Do you like BLT's?

[aTailOf2Kitties]

my boyfriend planted about 20 plants in the yard and I have another 7 or 8 in pots on the porch. We don't have a huge harvest every day but he's the only one eating them anyway. I usually pick a few whenever I am going to my parents' house. Their neighbor goes nuts over the homegrown tomatoes, even though ours are rather small. It's just nice to grow things sometimes, even when I myself don't eat them. We had a jalepeno plant that put out peppers until early December last year. I had a bunch of giant sunflowers too, but they were just the lucky ones that fell out of the feeder and weren't devoured by squirrels.

[RICHARD]

Olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, pepper .

Food processor.

Mix it all together.


Toast some french bread and smear with concoction.


Eat with slice 'maters and mozz cheese.


Ice tea, beer or a hard lemonade.:D

[Medusa]

Olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, pepper .

Food processor.

Mix it all together.


Toast some french bread and smear with concoction.


Eat with slice 'maters and mozz cheese.


Ice tea, beer or a hard lemonade.:D

Ok, I need measurements, Richard. PLEASE. You're responsible for making me salivate so please tell me how much of each.

[Medusa]

Sandie, if you lived nearby, you'd get sick of seeing me. Vine fresh tomatoes, wow! It doesn't get any better than that.

[Laura's Babies]

(NOT unless you beat me there Mary! I'd have them all and headed home to make all kinds of stuff!)

[sirrahbed]

Those are some beautiful tomatoes!! I love picking them and popping them into my mouth while they are warm - wish I had some!!

[lizbud]

Those tomatoes look great, and so many different kind.:love: I love em.:)
Are you going to take any to farmers markets this summer? My neighbor has
3-4 plants and has been keeping me supplied. Soooo much better than store
bought.

[Freedom]

I love picking them and popping them into my mouth while they are warm !

Oh yes, me too! LOL, I swear you can taste and smell the "earth" with the fresh ones.

We ate Aunt Gertie's at lunch (with 2 Ponderosa's!) That big bright yellow orange one tastes like a PEACH! The texture of the pulp, I guess is what I mean, is more like a peach than a tomato. Oh it was devine!

No farmer's market, I have a few friends I share with, and I make sauce and freeze it for the winter months.

Thanks Richard, sounds great!

Friend came over for some this morning; her husband owns a bakery. She brought rolls and crusty bread in exchange. I have Feta to make a Greek salad (with red onion, cucumber, and black olives), and Mozz to make another Caprese salad or 2. Mmmmm.

[Daisy and Delilah]

You're killing me Sandie. I can practically taste the food and I'm in Florida. Hot, sweltering, tasteless tomato, Florida.:(

[RICHARD]

Ok, I need measurements, Richard. PLEASE. You're responsible for making me salivate so please tell me how much of each.

Me? Recipe?

It's just a basil style pesto.

Start with about 1/4 cup of oil and vinegar, Add a 1/2 cup fresh basil, 1/4 teaspon of S&P??? Oh, you can add a squeeze of citrus, too!

LOL, I don't have a measured recipe! ;) I like my 'spread' a little chunky and basil-ey, so I just add and taste.



Experiment and have fun with it.:love:;)

[Medusa]

I like my 'spread' a little chunky and basil-ey, so I just add and taste.

Yep, I usually do, too, but I wanted at least an idea of measurements. Thanx! :)

[krazyaboutkatz]

Yum!!! I love home grown tomatoes. You have a wonderful crop there.:)

[Marigold2]

Yes they look great. I have a ton as well. I love tomato salad or just eating the small ones off the vine. I have tons of orange, red and yellow peppers as well theyt make a pretty salad.
Today I had them for dinner along with hommas and pita bread as my oven broke. So it has to be fresh, grilled or nuked for a a bit till the new one arrives.

[K9karen]

Oh Man, I miss my mom's tomato garden! She had a green thumb and could grow anything! My job was pickin' them and very few cherry tomatoes made it inside! Your crop looks so delicious, Sandie! I LOVE tomatoes! BTW, thanks for the caprese salad reminder..I've made it everyday since your yummy photo! Of course, it's not the same without homegrown tomatoes.

[Killearn Kitties]

BTW, thanks for the caprese salad reminder..I've made it everyday since your yummy photo! Of course, it's not the same without homegrown tomatoes.

You are so right. The one I had last night was nothing special. The tomatoes I bought just weren't tasty enough.