Tomatoes In My Tummy
One of the plants I grow every year is the tomato (solanum lycopersicum). My husband is part Italian, and although when I was younger, I didn’t like tomatoes at all, it has grown on me, especially when sliced thick and paired with a nice wedge of Gorgonzola, or made into a caprese salad (I guess you can tell I love cheese.)
It’s part of the nightshade family.
Yep. Super poisonous plants, and therefore every part of the tomato except the fruit shouldn’t be eaten, and at least one death has been reported (but you’d need to eat quite a bit of the greens for that.)
Although it originated in the Americas, it has become intensely popular, especially in the Mediterranean such as Greece and Italy.
Most years I plant only one or two varieties of large tomatoes, and the rest, due to higher yield, are usually cherries. I love the sweet cherries and the ones that have interesting colors. Wine dark purples, and sunburst yellows really make your plate more lively, and the subtle differences in texture and sweetness makes it not boring.
Last year I had a terrible time with them due to their placement–they need a lot of sun and water, and protection from deer, so this year, I moved my perennial herb garden which was in a 4 x 8 flower bed at my front door, and turned it into my annual vegetable bed instead, since it gets a lot of sun and has a sprinkler right next to it. They do best in full sun, not too cold and not too hot, with lots of moisture and water. People usually start them indoors and get them into the ground in June here on LI.
I also took a risk this year in that I planted them in the beginning of May, when there was still a slight chance of frost–but due to their location next to my house, they seemed well protected and actually thrived, growing huge with their fruits ripening around now.
I like to companion plant, so I have bush beans interplanted for their nitrogen fixing properties, and basil, which supposedly both makes tomatoes taste better and have a stronger aroma itself. I use tomato cages to hold them up (as tomatoes are actually considered a vine.)
Recipes that include Tomatoes
Shiso Buratta Salad
Easy Comfort Rice Bowl
Gorgonzola and Tomato Salad
Panzanella
Sundried Tomato, Garlic, and Rosemary In Olive Oil
Sundried Tomato and Mozzarella Salad
Hearty Garden Bean Soup
Spicy Chilled Noodles (Hiyashi Chuka)
Antipasto Salad Supreme
Spicy Miso Hummus Platter
Taco Rice
Ethiopian Style Breakfast
Dandelion Pesto With Tomato And Bread
Egg Tomato Alfalfa Sandwich
Easy Peanut Chicken
Breakfast Grits
Fire Roasted Pepper Caponata
Fire Roasted Tomato Jam