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Tomatofest!
17 years ago
General
Awww, yeah, it's tomato time. No, I'm not talking about those hard, pinkish spheres of compressed granules that you buy at the supermarket, the ones with solid white cores and a vague whiff o' tomato flavor. I'm talking about these little multicolored beauties: http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a9.....er/Tomato1.jpg
That's right, it's a bumper crop of fresh, ripe, just-picked and still warm from the sun homegrown heirloom tomatoes. What's the difference, you may ask? Well, let me try to describe the experience. You've just plucked a dead ripe, ruby red San Francisco Fog from the vine you've been lovingly tending to since it was a tender green seedling in early spring. The flesh feels firm yet soft, and the crimson skin is delicately sprinkled with a fine dust of golden fuzz that glimmers in the sunlight. You were thinking about cutting it up into a salad for dinner, but this sucker is just too irresistible... you're going to eat it right over the kitchen sink, ASAP.
The first thing you notice as your knife plunges through the firm skin is the spurt of reddish juice that dribbles down the backs of your fingers - no store bought tomato, even one of those 'still on the vine' things, has any kind of juice in it at all, but this one is leaking all over the place. The scent is strong and pleasantly tangy, a promise of the serious treat you're about to enjoy. It's easy enough to peel, since a fresh, ripe tomato practically jumps out of its skin. Now it's cored and peeled, and your sink is full of a confetti of red skin bits and a splattering of juice and tiny greenish seeds (why didn't you think to put a dish underneath the tomato to catch all that juice? No matter, plenty more where that came from).
Now you slice the fruit into four quarters, taking note of the deep clusters of juicy seeds and the firm, tender flesh... it's still warm from the sun, and your hand is literally soaked in juice. Raise one quarter up to your mouth and pop it in, and the cliche'd phrase 'an explosion of flavor' suddenly doesn't seem so trite - your tongue is awash in a burst of intensely sweet, tangy deliciousness that seems a million miles removed from anything you've ever paid for at the market. Time for those other three slices - whoops, you've already eaten them. No problem... your vines are chock full of dozens more: http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a9.....er/Tomato2.jpg
A truly ripe off the vine tomato typically has a flavor that's equal parts sugar and acidity (though many varieties lean more to one side or the other). My personal faves are the S.F. Fog, the Early Girl, the Better Boy, the Lemon Boy, and the rare but well worth it Earl of Edgecomb... all of which strike my palate as a perfect balance of sweet and tangy. Let's not ignore the cherry tomatoes, either, which tend to have an even more concentrated flavor (I recommend the yellow Sun Sugar in particular).
If you've only ever experienced a commercially grown tomato (they're artificially ripened in ethylene, by the way), your first bite of a 'real' tomato can be something of a shock... you've probably never imagined one having such an intense flavor. Personally, except for cooking purposes, I can't stand the store ones. It wasn't until my folks started growing fresh fruits and veggies that I reluctantly took the plunge - but one bite was all it took to turn me into a bona-fide tomato fiend. Now my only regret is that tomato season seems so short.
That's right, it's a bumper crop of fresh, ripe, just-picked and still warm from the sun homegrown heirloom tomatoes. What's the difference, you may ask? Well, let me try to describe the experience. You've just plucked a dead ripe, ruby red San Francisco Fog from the vine you've been lovingly tending to since it was a tender green seedling in early spring. The flesh feels firm yet soft, and the crimson skin is delicately sprinkled with a fine dust of golden fuzz that glimmers in the sunlight. You were thinking about cutting it up into a salad for dinner, but this sucker is just too irresistible... you're going to eat it right over the kitchen sink, ASAP.
The first thing you notice as your knife plunges through the firm skin is the spurt of reddish juice that dribbles down the backs of your fingers - no store bought tomato, even one of those 'still on the vine' things, has any kind of juice in it at all, but this one is leaking all over the place. The scent is strong and pleasantly tangy, a promise of the serious treat you're about to enjoy. It's easy enough to peel, since a fresh, ripe tomato practically jumps out of its skin. Now it's cored and peeled, and your sink is full of a confetti of red skin bits and a splattering of juice and tiny greenish seeds (why didn't you think to put a dish underneath the tomato to catch all that juice? No matter, plenty more where that came from).
Now you slice the fruit into four quarters, taking note of the deep clusters of juicy seeds and the firm, tender flesh... it's still warm from the sun, and your hand is literally soaked in juice. Raise one quarter up to your mouth and pop it in, and the cliche'd phrase 'an explosion of flavor' suddenly doesn't seem so trite - your tongue is awash in a burst of intensely sweet, tangy deliciousness that seems a million miles removed from anything you've ever paid for at the market. Time for those other three slices - whoops, you've already eaten them. No problem... your vines are chock full of dozens more: http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a9.....er/Tomato2.jpg
A truly ripe off the vine tomato typically has a flavor that's equal parts sugar and acidity (though many varieties lean more to one side or the other). My personal faves are the S.F. Fog, the Early Girl, the Better Boy, the Lemon Boy, and the rare but well worth it Earl of Edgecomb... all of which strike my palate as a perfect balance of sweet and tangy. Let's not ignore the cherry tomatoes, either, which tend to have an even more concentrated flavor (I recommend the yellow Sun Sugar in particular).
If you've only ever experienced a commercially grown tomato (they're artificially ripened in ethylene, by the way), your first bite of a 'real' tomato can be something of a shock... you've probably never imagined one having such an intense flavor. Personally, except for cooking purposes, I can't stand the store ones. It wasn't until my folks started growing fresh fruits and veggies that I reluctantly took the plunge - but one bite was all it took to turn me into a bona-fide tomato fiend. Now my only regret is that tomato season seems so short.
Lemon boy is turning out to be one of our best producers this year... loads of big, fat, bright yellow tomatoes. :3
Currently I'm growing Roma, Beefsteak, Cherry and a few other varieties. I'm also growing Cucumbers (which is a first this year) Broccoli, Peppers (mild, hot & VOLCANO) Onions, Beans and Corn (which I should pick soon).
I've harvested Apples, and my new Pear tree's got a small crop.
And all this in a small yard in the back.
I love late summer harvests
Ever try a sweet habanero? It's bizarre. :3
What I'll do tomorrow (right now it's too dark out) is take some photos of my garden and post it here.
One plant started out small and in just two weeks has a vine over a meter and a half long (you'll see I through a lot of fertilizer around ).
Dammitall, there's a farmer's market just a bus ride away! They're open on two days and I work both of them! cries But even there, I've never seen heirloom tomatoes like the one you describe. The best I could get there is beefsteaks.
BTW, your description was pretty darn good. Write some fiction, Stitch!
If you've got the space for even a potted plant or two, you could always try growing your own... all the plants need is a little TLC and plenty of water.
Thanks for the compliment, btw. Actually I have written plenty of fiction... I just haven't gotten around to posting any yet. :P
Post some of your fiction, otter! You're good!
worchestershire sauce
splash of lemon and lime juice
salt, pepper, celery salt, garlic powder, chili powder
bit of hot sauce
3 olives
celery stalk or dill pickle
Koh's custom bloody mary from SPACE :V
Sounds pretty durn tasty, though personally I'd substitute pepperoncinis in place of the olives (never been an olive fan). I'll have to give your recipe a whirl.