Tomatoes

I used to get tomatoes that just started to fruit, and when I began to get excited they would develop the blight, or get hit with tomato worms, or just set tiny fruit to my complete frustration.  I hope we are turning the corner on good tomatoes.  Last year's crop was still yielding red Romas in January!  Okay, maybe they were a bit green, but when I picked them and brought them into the house, they turned red and cooked up well.

This year we put out only two plants.  I forget if one of them is a "big boy" and the other an "early girl" or what.  I thought I would remember but I have two problems: 1) I am not actually a veteran farmer, and 2) I am 76 years old and there are a lot of other things I don't remember either.

But I just had to show off this nascent crop.  One of these is as large as a fist.  We are going to pick the orange ones and leave them on the kitchen counter while we are away at Family Camp next week.  I expect to enjoy several BLTs when we get back.

The weather man says our weather is going to dramatically warm up this week, so I will have to flood them thoroughly on Monday, and water them as soon as we get home Friday afternoon. 

Our zucchini are waxing prolific again this year.  I planted them in various locations in front and in the back yard.  I even stuck one in a pot.  It is very interesting to see them develop at differing rates, probably depending on the different degrees of richness of the soil, and perhaps the exposure to the sun.  The lone plant in the far back yard seems to be thriving the liveliest with 6 squashes about ready to eat already.  The one in the planter is the scrawniest, but it has already yielded an edible squash.  Fried with onions in olive oil and sprinkled with generous dashes of Parmesan cheese, they are a delight.  I see I need to drag out my zucchini recipes again.  Maybe a baked zucchini dish, or zucchini bread.  We've already had stuffed zucchini.  I found a chunk of baked salmon in the freezer.  I put it through the food processor with a slice of whole wheat bread and some Italian spices and a little grated cheese, and this made a luscious stuffing for the squash.