Tuesday, 08 July 2008 - Homegrown tomatoes

Dear God:

Today, I am thankful for homegrown tomatoes.

Homegrown tomatoes homegrown tomatoes
What'd life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can't buy
That's true love and homegrown tomatoes
~Clark Guy, lyrics from "Homegrown Tomatoes"

You know, when you get your first asparagus, or your first acorn squash, or your first really good tomato of the season, those are the moments that define the cook's year. I get more excited by that than anything else.
~Mario Batali

I will never tire of eating homegrown tomatoes. In my opinion, no store-bought variety will ever surpass the intense flavor and sweetness of the luscious red and orange globes that grow in my small edible garden.

We eat the first ripe tomato of the season, a deep red specimen from the "Fantastic" plant. I savor each nibble. Yes, this is how a tomato should taste.

One half of a small tomato just isn't enough. My appetite for another grows exponentially.

Unfortunately, I find only green fruit on the "Fantastic" plant and a score of yellow blossoms on the "Brandywine" vine. The Sungold cherry tomatoes are still too young to bear blossoms or fruit.

Although it's July, the outdoor growing season in Colorado is barely a month old. With luck, the plants will bear fruit through September. Or even October, if we don't get an early frost.

So, I will do what gardeners do best.

For the plants, I'll water daily and feed weekly.

For me, I'll work on patience and pray harder than ever for a bountiful harvest.

For this blessing, I am grateful.

Amen.