June 26, 2012

My First Crop!

One of the best things about my house is that I actually have space to grow things, and the sunlight help them grow. While I had a wee back garden at my last house, it was in shadow for all but about 15 minutes of the year, and the only thing I grew was moss.

So, I was delighted to pick the first of my crop this evening, and of course, I had to photograph it!Three teeny, tiny tomatoes! Fresh off the vine, warm from the sun! What could be more perfect? frontYou can just see the two tomato plants in the bottom left corner, above. I have one that’s a Sweet 100’s cherry tomato plant, and the other is a Big Boy. One of those was red, but the bottom had been eaten off. Bloody rabbits.

One of my favourite things to do with these little tomatoes is to cut them in half, and put them on a baking sheet. Then give them a spritz of good olive oil, or toss them beforehand, and lightly salt them. Stick them into a 180-200*F oven and go about your business for the next six or so hours. Your house will fill with the most amazing smell, and the tomatoes will gradually dry out to a leathery texture. Let them cool and put them in a plastic bag in the fridge. Use on salads and pasta as you would sun-dried tomatoes. Or eat them like candy. You can see the patina on my stainless steel, free-standing commercial kitchen counter, aka, my desk. It’s the only piece of furniture I kept when I moved to the UK, because I knew I’d never find one like it again. It came from an old navy yard we took apart when I was doing salvage work. There’s one spot that some poor prep cook must have stood for hours, chopping vegetables, because it’s worn in so rough in one spot. Connor’s rather fond of it, too! books 001[2]P.S. I pronounce it “to-mah-to”.

21 comments:

  1. I say "Toe- may- toe" but let's call the whole thing off!
    Kidding, but very envious of the berries. We have four celebrity tomato plants and two have blossom end rot... poooh.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. One of the things i learned is not to water the plants, but to water the ground around the plants. They don't like wet leaves.

      Delete
  2. Connor is looking very handsome!!! He knows exactly where to sit to keep cool. But, then, he is a really cool dude. Enjoy. Mary

    ReplyDelete
  3. Yes indeed! To-ma-to it is. There is absolutely nothing like growing your own: even the leaves smell so good.
    How has Connor been? No thunder stories lately?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Eye...the 4th is coming up, so send good wishes.

      Delete
  4. Connor looks happy + content + fabulous "ma-ters", lets call the whole thing off. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. He loves hanging out on that shelf when I am working!

      Delete
  5. Sure, I love home-grown tomatoes, kitchen worksurfaces not afraid of a few honest scratches, Connor, all that.

    But what I also love is the way that, every once in a while, there's a great throwaway phrase tossed in as way of explanation: "When I did salvage work", "when I used to work in a castle in Wales" "when I lived in a house only twelve feet wide". You seem to have had so many lives--more than anybody I know--that, reading, one of these days, "When I was a professional chef" or "When I was in the CIA" or "when I was in a rock band" wouldn't surprise me one bit.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha! One house was 9.5 feet wide and i was a caterer for a while!

      Delete
  6. Meg, your to-MAH-toes are gorgeous! How much space do you need to grow them? Could I do it in a container on my deck (where my puppies couldn't get at them)? One of my notoriously difficult to feed sons adores cherry tomatoes and I've thought about growing some just for him, but I thought I'd need a big vegetable garden to do it properly and that is not happening any time soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The little ones grow perfectly in containers! We used to have one on our porch so we could pull them off during cocktails.

      Delete
  7. Hi Meg,
    I am delighted to meet Connor!! Actually I caught up on your old posts last night, and read all about Connor and his adventures at the new house. I think you mentioned he does not like the noises of fireworks (hope it was not another blog I read that).....neither do my pups (Panda & Mocha). They are dreading 4th of July and all the local neighborhood fireworks. Wonderful to-mah-tos! They are early.
    Cheers,
    Loi
    PS - Thanks so much for your email and link to Ladew. I would love to attend the garden show next year.....too bad I missed the one this year.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SO glad you got a chance to read some of the blog. It's been such a fun journey, from just my mother reading it, to almost one million visitors - which should happen later this week!

      Would love to see you in Baltimore - not just for Ladew, but to sightsee!

      Delete
    2. Congrats on the success of your blog! A million, that is quite the milestone. Thanks so much! Loi

      Delete
  8. I say to-mah-toe, too. Nice to see Connor, how goes he? thanks for putting me out of my guessing misery re house price

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SMR... our independence day is next week so there will be plenty of drugs...for Connor and for me.

      Delete
    2. that did make me laugh, I'm sure you'll let us celebrate with you both

      Delete
  9. We say 'toe-may-toes' here at the Prepatorium, but are mostly concerned with eating them! The Consort has been known to eat them almost like an apple, he is such a fiend for them. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's nothing better than a tomato sandwich! And I also use them to make gazspacho!

      Delete
  10. Congrats on your tomAHtoes! They look yummy... I've been buying these wee tiny ones at the grocery lately, called "cherubs". They're smaller than cherry tomatoes and they are sweeter than any I've ever had before. Salad is suddenly so much more appetizing now!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for reading and commenting on Pigtown*Design. I read each and every comment and try to reply if I have your e-mail address.