Exploring Tomatoes Archive

Late Summer is Tomato Time

Posted September 7, 2014 By Adri


Roasted Tomatoes with Burrata


People are talking about fall. But it is not fall in Los Angeles. Not by a long shot. I know this because in gardens up and down my street, tomato plants continue to produce a riot of unmatched end-of-summer color.


Tomatoes


With a glorious profusion of red, yellow, and white currant tomatoes, as tiny as your pinkie fingernail, to the slightly larger grape tomatoes, right up to two pound beauties like Gold Medal and Mortgage Lifters of all stripe, the plants continue to produce with remarkable abandon. But the question persists. What to do with all these tomatoes? Read more… »

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Tomatomania! – The Rite of Spring

Posted March 23, 2012 By Adri

Home grown is greater than store bought

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Pick up your shovel and your hoe! Well, where the heck did winter go, and when did Spring arrive? The fever is rising. Spring is here, and that means time to prepare your soil and plan the garden. Bart and I performed our very own rite of Spring this morning when we went to Tomatomania!, the ne plus ultra of tomato sales.

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The Tomatomania! folks gathered a dizzying array of tomato seedlings from which to choose. Hundreds of varieties, thousands of individual plants greeted us this morning when we drove to Tapia Brothers Farm in Encino, California. Read more… »

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Pomodori Ripieni – Stuffed Tomatoes

Posted September 18, 2011 By Adri

Pomodori Ripieni-Stuffed Tomatoes

Have you ever wondered why just about every Italian city and town have a street called via XX Settembre (20th of September?) Well, think Italian unification – Italians of the late nineteenth century wanted their capital in Rome. Now channel the Bersaglieri. Yes the Bersaglieri, those fast stepping infantrymen with the coolest hats ever. And I do mean ever. Decorated with Woodcock feathers, the hats are shown off to wonderful advantage when the Bersaglieri are on parade. Take a moment to look at the YouTube video. You’ll love it. However, I digress. Although the Kingdom of Italy was formed in 1861 at which time Rome was declared its capital, geopolitical tensions of the day prevented Italian patriots from taking control of the city. Nine years later on September 20, 1870 the Bersaglieri marched on Rome and ended the Papal States’ dominion over the capital, a rule that had lasted more than a thousand years. And that, dear Reader, is why Italian cities have streets called via XX Settembre. Celebrate with a traditional Roman dish, Pomodori Ripieni, Stuffed Tomatoes. Read more… »

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Martino’s Roma

Posted September 14, 2011 By Adri

Another in the ongoing series – Exploring Tomatoes
Martinos Roma

I love this tomato!

Smaller than the common Roma, with a stout bottom tapering up to narrow straight shoulders, this is one seriously productive plant.  This heirloom variety plum tomato is direct from Italy and produces fruit of about 2 to 3 ounces in weight.  It is a  determinate tomato plant, also known a “bush tomato,” and as such all its fruit will ripen over a period of about two weeks, essentially all at once in tomato talk.  For some uses, that is not desirable, but if you are looking for a deliciously mild tomato to make sauce or paste, this is just what you want – a plant that will yield a bountiful harvest over a short period of time.  At about 75 days the fruit will begin to ripen, and remarkably, this plant is virtually “self-harvesting.”  The wonderfully mild fruit, when ripe, comes off at a touch, or more often, just falls off of its own accord.  The plant needs very little staking and sports a low, compact habit.  The fruit holds well on and off the vine guaranteeing a generous supply for the kitchen.  Martino’s Roma are a vibrant red, meaty and firm enough to stuff and bake.  They are also wonderful for use on an antipasto plate.  This is an all-around winner, and will be back in my garden next year.


Note: You can click the picture for a larger image.

I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.

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Banana Legs Tomato

Posted August 27, 2011 By Adri

Another in the ongoing series – Exploring Tomatoes


Banana Legs Tomato


This low acid novelty looks a bit like a banana, well, kinda sorta – a 4 inch long bright yellow banana with a point at one end and very pale green stripes running the length of the fruit. Like I said, kinda sorta. This is one dependable and remarkably disease resistant plant. It is a determinate variety, and as such all its fruit will ripen at once, beginning at about 75 days and continuing over a two week period. The plant will then be “finished.” Known as “bush tomatoes” because of their low compact habit, determinate plants stop growing once the fruit on the top (or “terminal”) bud has set. These are not plants that will reward you with fruit all season long. Keep the determinate vs. indeterminate factor in mind when planning your tomato garden. Read more… »

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Golden Copper Tomato Sauce

Posted August 21, 2011 By Adri

Tomatoes

Aren’t they beautiful? And that is just what I grabbed from my garden yesterday morning. Really. I decided to make some sauce with all those babies, and what a lovely thing it is. The color is a knockout. It’s not yellow. It’s not just orange, but a coppery orange that I love. I used a few heirloom tomatoes – Jubilee, Yellow Brandywine, Russian Orange, Mr. Stripey and Jaune Flamme. As I was chopping and seeding the tomatoes I was astounded at how juicy they were. And the juice was an absolutely glorious golden color. Summer rocks. Read more… »

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