Our production seems to be outpacing the losses from shoplifting by the varmints.
Missing: Tomatoes. A lot of tomatoes.
Suspect: The usual suspects.
Due to some rather draconian firearm laws in my town, I can’t deal with the tomato thieves the way I’d like. So far, the squirrels have out-consumed the family to a ratio of about 3 to 1.
However, if I lived in the city I’d be dealing with a whole other class of thieves.
Too many tomatoes, what a chore! NOT!
Primo and The Principessa made this wonderful tart on Saturday
Arrived home from a week at the lake to discover complete devastation of the tomatoes. Not really sure what kind of varmint we’re dealing with but a varmint for sure. Half-eaten tomatoes strewn around the back yard, both beautifully ripe and green. I guess the varmint ran out of ripe tomatoes mid-week.
This tomato was the only one left undamaged and close to ripe. But it needed at least another day (and probably two) so I left it on the vine. Came out this morning to find one tiny bite taken out of it. Curses! Foiled!
And so far it’s the heavyweight winner, even with a we bit removed. 2 lbs. 5/8 ounces.
Tonight we’ll have our first pasta sauce of the season from our own tomatoes. A simple Pomodoro I think.
After having the driveway repaved and the turnaround in back ripped up I discoverd I had room for a new bed. Raised bed, of course. And this one gets the best sun of all. So of course it will be the home for the bulk of out tomato plants.
Of course a lot of tilling was involved but since I caved-in and gave up on the old Mantis and bought a new tiller, everyone wanted to get in on the act. Primo was dying to till, and till he did.
Seen here, tilling the squash patch.
Fortunately we’ve got an eager 13 year old to help. But some folks don’t have the help at hand. Here’s a story Mom sent:
An old maan lived alone in New Jersey . He wanted to plant his annual tomato garden, but it was very difficult work, as the ground was hard.
His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament:
Dear Vincent,
I am feeling pretty sad, because it looks like I won’t be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I’m just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over.. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me, like in the old days.
Love, Papa
A few days later he received a letter from his son.
Dear Pop,
Don’t dig up that garden. That’s where the bodies are buried.
Love,
Vinnie
At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left.
That same day the old man received another letter from his son.
Dear Pop,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That’s the best I could do under the circumstances.
Love you,
Vinnie
The recent cold weather in Florida has caused a major shortage of tomatoes in the rest of the country. This has caused some fast food restaurants to stop using tomatoes in their food unless specifically asked to. Not that this is a bad thing based on how bad those tomatoes usually are.
On the bright side, I’ve ordered my seedlings rather than starting seeds this year. With so many varities available as live plants it seemed like too much trouble to start my own. But the snow had better melt soon as I asked for a “first half of April” delivery.
What was I thinking?
After a wonderful Christmas in Colorado which found the Principessa conquering high-altitude Yorkshire Pudding, (which turned out great at an altitude of 8500 ft. I might add) and Segundo and TB making a gingerbread village we returned to a mailbox stuffed with seed catalogs. I promised The Principessa I would only grow 2 kinds of tomatoes this year. The red kind and the not-red kind.
JerzeeTomato 