In case you missed them in my last post, here are my new babies. This doesn't make me any less seriously in need of a grandchild, but it does give me something else to think about. In fact, I think I'll call these my "grandmatoes". And there are more coming. Lots, lots more. Here's an imponderable for you: If these are my grandmatoes, will next year's crop be my great grandmatoes? I suppose I shouldn't count my grandmatoes before they've hatched. With my luck, the greenhouse will catch on fire or something.
To fully appreciate what a milestone this is, you would need to read my post from two years ago. I've been growing tomatoes in the outdoor garden at this house for approximately seven years. Every year, my plants are loaded with green tomatoes that never ripen. It's positively heart-breaking. And then when the rain comes, I end up buying tomatoes from someone more successful so that I can make pasta sauce. Then the rain comes. Then my own tomatoes rot on the vine without ever ripening. Oh, I'll get a handful. One handful. No more.
So to have ripe and ripening tomatoes in the middle of August is such a treat!! As soon as I finish telling you the rest of what I'm here to tell you, I'm heading off to the grocery store to get the things I need for my first batch of pasta sauce. (You can see how I make it right here.) I make the sauce in small batches, and I have enough now for the first batch. There will be some leftover for a salad tonight, and to put on our hamburgers tomorrow. Yum. Garden tomatoes. The only ones worth eating, in my humble opinion.
Some of you have asked about the indigo rose tomatoes. They aren't quite ready to pick yet, but they are very close.
Just last night I was reading a little blurb about these. I can't remember where. In any case, it said that they would be about two inches in diameter when they were ripe. My purple ones range in size from a ping pong ball to a little larger than a golf ball. Unfortunately, they are as hard as golf balls too.
I'm thinking they can't possibly be ripe unless they at least yield to gentle pressure, like an avocado. So I'm leaving them on the vine a little longer.
The plant is crawling with them at various stages of ripening. Here is another bunch of them, and there are many, many more. It's a prolific little plant. I'm just anxious for them to be ready to eat so I can see how they taste. They are pretty, for sure.
And here's my second round of lettuce, also bound for the dinner plate.
Updated to say I'll be linking up to Harvest Monday over at Daphne's Dandelions.
And just to catch up, I'm two weeks behind on my stash report. My sewing has been spotty over the past couple of weeks, but I've still managed to make several blocks. Also, I purchased some fabric down in Klamath Falls, but there's still plenty of room for more fabric before the end of the year. This is a good thing because we're gearing up for a trip in a couple of weeks, and I know I'll want to visit some quilt shops while we're traveling.
Fabric Used: 1 1/2 yards
Fabric Used in 2012: 112 yards
Fabric Purchased: 4 1/2 yards
Total Fabric Purchased in 2012: 85 1/4 yards
Net Used in 2012: 26 3/4 yards
So that's it from this end. I need to get on my way to the post office and the grocery store, and I need to get reorganized at home. I'm hoping to get some sewing done this afternoon, but I'll have the whole day tomorrow either way. Is your week getting off to a good start?
18 comments:
Those indigo tomatoes are beautiful!
I have never heard of Indigo Tomatoes before. I am very curious as to how they will taste - they look amazing. The contrast of the dark purple on bright green vine is stunning.
Cheers,
Carolyn
lovely harvest!!
Great post makes me crave Salad! Congrats on all your lovely veggies.
Your Indigo tomatoes look interesting. Can't wait until you tell us what they taste like. You are right, the only tomatoes worth eating come fresh from the garden! Happy canning.
Lovely harvest. I also planted Indigo Rose and was very disapointed in taste. Once they're ripe they turn red on the shaded side (purple where sun reaches them) but the taste was so very blah.. I thought they'd be more like other dark varieties.
yum
Whoa!! I've never seen that Indigo Rose tomato. Wild things :)
Everything looks good! You'll end up with some really terrific sauce. Do the purple ones turn red when cooked? If not, what a crazy spaghetti sauce that would make, my granddaughter would love it.
Fabulous! I was just down in Portland and my girlfriend has tons of tomatoes too! She had those baby yellow ones that are like candy, romas, cherries and of course, beefsteak. We took the romas, yellow ones and cherries and made up a simple dressing with oil and balsamic vinegar and sugar...let them marinate and then made brushetta for dinner. Delish! Up in Seattle I haven't had as much luck with tomatoes this year!
Can you freeze some of your sauce in zipper bags? If you can freeze them flat, they can be "filed" in freezer & not take up much room. :D
I'm looking forward to seeing those purple ones cut open, just to see what they look like!
Great looking tomatoes..even the Indigos. Tell us how they taste. Have fun making sauce.
Congrats on the tomatoes! Those indigo rose tomatoes look great!
Congrats on the grandmatoes! I hope you knocked on wood after writing what you did, I can't even repeat it. Thanks for the picture of those gorgeous purple ones, I hope they ripen.
I've not seen Indigos before, tho I did grow Cherokee purples last season. All that yumminess - gorgeous photos!
Those are some cool looking tomatoes; I too am curious about the taste. Jealous of that lettuce, it looks so good!
Your tomatoes are beautiful. I like the color of the plum ones. I've never seen those before, do they taste a lot different from the "red" ones?
That's the first time I saw indigo rose tomatoes! How do they taste like?
Post a Comment