Adri Barr Crocetti

Home grown is greater than store bought

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.

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 the remainder of this entry »

It may be too early to plant, but it is never too early to plan. From Arugula to Zahara Eggplant, gardeners are marking calendars and making lists, drawing up plans, checking availability and placing orders. In short we are getting hyped for summer.

Italians have a way with vegetables. There is just no doubt about it. And they have varieties that until recently were unavailable to us here in the United States. But now Italian seeds from companies such as Pagano and Franchi Sementi are available at many local nurseries. My neighborhood nursery, Sego in Studio City, California, has a large selection of Italian seeds. If your nurseryman does not carry them, Seeds from Italy will come to your aid. They are the exclusive U.S. mail order distributor for Franchi seeds, Italy’s oldest and best known seed supply. Over the years I have grown many vegetables from Franchi seeds, always with tremendous success. I urge you to plant their Zucchini Romanesco. This variant is creamy and tasty, a breed apart, easily the finest zucchini I have ever tasted. Currently the top seller at Seeds from Italy is Red Pear Tomato, another I heartily recommend. It is a big, but early tomato that will please every gardener and cook. Read the remainder of this entry »

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 the remainder of this entry »

Another in the ongoing series – Exploring Tomatoes

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.