Money Can’t Buy True Love, And Homegrown Tomatoes

Everybody who is aware of me even considerably intently has, in the previous few years, needed to hearken to me gush about how a lot I really like collaborating in a farm share program. In winter, I pay a sizeable (however affordable for what I get) amount of cash to an area farm to assist fund their seeds and such. Then, beginning in spring, each week I drive 20 minutes to that farm and am handed a giant field of regardless of the heck they occur to be harvesting on the time.

Recent, native produce guidelines. It’s inspired me to broaden my cooking repertoire and take a look at new meals, and I typically assume every part I get tastes noticeably higher than out-of-season nonsense from the massive grocery retailer. I’ve had among the greatest apples of my life this manner, realized and cherished the standard pawpaw fruit, and developed a begrudging respect for many greens (I nonetheless can’t get onboard with kale).

Additionally, tomatoes. Tomatoes! Do you know homegrown (or, nicely, grown at a small farm 20 minutes from residence) tomatoes are…scrumptious?

Now, I’ve disliked tomatoes for many of my life. Watery and bland on their very own, or generally bitter or mushy and ugly. I averted them if in any respect doable. I’ve made my views on ketchup clear elsewhere. Pasta sauce is tolerable if made nicely, however contemporary tomatoes? Get these proper out of right here.

Nicely, what I’ve found from this farm share is that if you eat tomatoes contemporary and in-season inside spitting distance of the place they’ve been grown, they’re unimaginable. Certain, it’s just for just a few months annually, however wow! Juicy, tangy, even slightly umami happening? I slice ’em and fry ’em on a forged iron and sprinkle ’em with slightly Maldon seasoning salt. I toss ’em on a grilled cheese sandwich for a little bit of an acidic punch. After I get tons, I prepare dinner them down into unimaginable pasta sauce or oven roast them with slightly olive oil and mash them into salsa with among the peppers that normally present up within the share alongside them. There are massive, fats tomatoes for slicing and placing on burgers, and little grape-sized ones I can simply pop in my mouth with no prep wanted.

Oh, God, and in case you handle to get one contemporary? Proper off the vine? Solar-warmed? Holy tomato, guys, what a dream!

Homegrown tomatoes! Homegrown tomatoes!

Why are we speaking about tomatoes as we speak? Nicely, this morning, I heard this music on the radio:

Nicely, you possibly can exit to eat and that’s for positive
However it’s nothin’ a homegrown tomato gained’t remedy
Put ’em in a salad, put ’em in a stew
You can also make your very personal tomato juice
You’ll be able to eat ’em with eggs, you possibly can eat ’em with gravy
Eat ’em with beans, pinto or navy
Put ’em on the facet, put ’em within the center
Put a homegrown tomato on a hotcake griddle

This man will get it! I can’t imagine I’ve by no means heard this music earlier than! “Homegrown Tomatoes” is by nation singer Man Clark, apparently certainly one of his better-known songs, which makes it all of the extra embarrassing for me that I hadn’t identified about it. I spend most of my time listening to sad-girl indie songs about craving and when-will-my-husband-return-from-the-war, so the thought that you could spend a complete music rightfully extolling the virtues of the homegrown tomato has me simply elated. Did you all know that you could simply do this? Are there extra wonderful, healthful songs concerning the basic deliciousness of meals objects on the market that I can hearken to?

We’re sadly approaching the very tail finish of tomato season, and I’m seeing fewer and fewer of them in my farm share every week. There have been none in the latest pick-up. It is likely to be over. The tomato within the photograph up prime is the final one I’ve from two shares in the past. I’m not even out and I miss them already.

What shall I do with this final homegrown tomato? There’s, in response to the very sensible Man Clark, no incorrect reply:

Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What’d life be with out homegrown tomatoes?
Solely two issues that cash can’t purchase
And that’s real love and homegrown tomatoes

Have a stunning weekend, everybody! I hope you get to attempt a homegrown tomato your self earlier than it will get too chilly for them. It’ll be an extended, lengthy winter with out homegrown tomatoes, however they’ll come again once more subsequent yr. They at all times do.