You say Tomato I say Tom-Ahhhh-to

By on Jun 3, 2019 in Tomatoes and veggies |

A colorful way of living, more of us are adding purple to our diets like eggplant, beets, purple potatoes, blueberries. We dream of the past when fast food and drive up windows were not an everyday occurrence. Eating outdoor food outdoors instead of something in a paper container that messes up our car. Know your food and grow your own. If someone decides to eat healthier and know their food they often start with tomatoes and peppers. Tomatoes and peppers are the gateway drug to gardening. Have success with them and soon you’ll be hooked trying to grow everything from cucumbers to cilantro. So what is a tomato….a vegetable or a fruit? You say tomato and I say “tom-ahhh-to. It depends on your point of view and could be both. A nutritionist might consider a tomato to be a vegetable. Botanically, a botanist would say fruit is a ripened flower ovary and contains seeds just like...

You say Tomato

By on May 14, 2018 in Tomatoes and veggies |

If trying a few tomatoes remember to look at the tag of the tomato plant you are buying. You will see somewhere on the tag it will tell you if the plant is indeterminate, determinate, or semi determinate. This has nothing to do with the plants determination to succeed. An indeterminate tomato will grow large and not set a terminal bud meaning that if it didn’t freeze come October it would keep growing to the size of a very large shrub! These are best planted in the ground with good plant supports to hold them up and allow sunlight and air movement around the plants. A determinate tomato however does set terminal buds so they stay at a more manageable size making them perfect for container growing. A semi-determinate tomato is obviously somewhere between the two in size, needing support but can be grown in large containers or in the ground. With any container gardening remember to...

A “Root” Awakening

By on Feb 9, 2011 in Tomatoes and veggies |

As we put January in the rear view mirror, February and March provide the opportunity for seed starting…….a “root” awakening. How therapeutic to smell and touch fresh soil again even if it’s only a bag of seed starting soil that doesn’t contain any “dirt”…..just vermiculite, peat moss and coir. With the sun streaming through the window on a winter day, moistened “soil” and a package of seeds… there is hope for tomorrow. We dream of a harvest of fresh vegetables and have a “root” awakening. Recent studies have shown that most of us dream of and start vegetable gardens not to save green as in money, but primarily for the flavor of fresh vegetables. We enjoy our urban farming even if it’s only a container or two of tomatoes or peppers. A trend in today’s landscapes with our busy lifestyles is...

Hot Hot Hot

By on Feb 5, 2010 in Tomatoes and veggies |

Time to start planning this year’s vegetable garden. There is no doubt that vegetable gardening as a backyard activity is hot..hot..hot. In doing so everyone should plant at least one vegetable you’ve never grown before this year. Maybe this is the year you tackle Kohlrabi or Brussel Sprouts? One of the reasons Tomatoes and Peppers are so popular is because there are so many different varieties. Try a new variety this year along with your old reliable varieties to add some spice to your batches of salsa. Growing peppers is fun and I’ve never grown Pepperoncini (pronounced pepper-on-chee-nee) peppers in my garden. I eat Pepperoncini peppers from store bought jars after someone told me they would fix throat and congestion issues when suffering from a cold. He even recommended taking a sip from the jar. I’ve followed his prescription and I haven’t had a cold...

The Cool Cole Crops!

By on Nov 5, 2009 in Tomatoes and veggies |

Its November, but that doesn’t mean the vegetable garden is done for the year. Long after plants like Peppers have frozen and Tomatoes succumbed to late blight, members of the Brassica genus and Cruciferae family known as Cole Crops stand up to the frosty weather! I stopped by the Brechting farm this week to look at 3 representatives of the Cruciferae family. Brussel’s Sprouts, Kale and Kohlrabi all making a comeback in popularity. For natural fiber and vitamins, these cousins are tough to beat with alledged benefits against cancer. Frosty November weather improves their taste and they extend the gardening season! They have a great history too! Brussels Sprouts derive their name from the city in Belgium where they were cultivated in large quantities already in the 1300’s. The family name of Cruciferae is so known because of a four-part flower in the shape of a cross....

In the Can…..

By on Oct 15, 2009 in Tomatoes and veggies |

The worst recession in decades and healthy eating has homeowners putting up food from their gardens this year. A comeback for the art of canning has homeowners “in the can” stretching their food dollars into the winter months. With unemployment at high levels nationally (getting canned) has created a renewed interest in canning at home. In our household we decided to take a bumper crop of tomatoes and make some tasty salsa that could be enjoyed on those  snowy nights to come this winter. The salsa turned out great but I have to admit each batch turned out different than the next which in my opinion adds to the adventure of “putting up” your own food supply. Canning in bottles may have its “roots” in the early part of the 19th century. Famous Frenchman and conquerer Napoleon Bonaparte was influential in getting some of his countrymen to develop a...