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criminal minds reid eat
I just ate half of this for dessert:



Yes, that's a tomato roughly the size and shape of a human heart. It's my job to think about these things.

For the record, it was a Russian Orange tomato, and it was delicious. Sweet and mild, with a velvety texture almost like a persimmon. It's not going in the ranks of my absolute favorites, where the Paul Robesons and gigantic German Striped tomatoes dwell... but damn, that was a fine tomato.

I also had a tiny little Garden Peach tomato this morning. It was as translucent as a gooseberry, and fuzzy on the outside. My life was sad before I knew how good a proper tomato could be. Even a garden-grown Beefsteak has nothing on these guys.

I'm not a fan of the heat of summer, but the things it brings to the table--peaches and plums and cherries and raspberries and blueberries, tomatoes, the first Ginger Gold apples... those make me a happy and well-fed bear.

My heart still belongs to autumn, and the Macoun and Stayman apples. But summer gives it a run. Especially since we found a teeny tiny brown tree frog in one of the foundation shrubs this morning. It had such minuscule fingers!

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( 17 comments — Leave a comment )
coffeeem
Aug. 23rd, 2012 01:11 am (UTC)
Oh, bliss! The harvest is coming in.

A few blocks away there's a house where the vegetable garden is in the front yard. Including a grove of sweet corn eight feet high, with long fat brown-tasseled ears. What a beautiful ornament to have in one's front yard.
matociquala
Aug. 23rd, 2012 01:18 am (UTC)
Oh, the sweeeeeeet corn. I just had some of that, too.

eglantine_br
Aug. 23rd, 2012 01:18 am (UTC)
Everything tastes so much better straight from the garden.
ygolonac
Aug. 23rd, 2012 01:21 am (UTC)
My dog shares your love of tomatoes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehdq3jhjC5o

(yes, that is a very scraggly tomato plant. I blame the fast growing tree that has put that spot in the shade for most of the day.)
joycemocha
Aug. 23rd, 2012 01:55 am (UTC)
That is one seriously cool tomato.

Here, the Gravenstein apple tree has borne many, many apples the size of that tomato. I don't think I've seen Gravensteins run this big before, and the baby Grimes Golden has huge apples on it as well. This spring was perfect for flowering, pollenation and frost...our last hard frost came after fruit had already set. Not always that lucky.

Alas, our tomatoes suck. Too much cool PNW summer, not enough heat. They are running slow to ripen. So I am virtually enjoying your tomato--thank you so much for sharing the pic.
matociquala
Aug. 23rd, 2012 12:46 pm (UTC)
We get just enough heat in New England for good tomatoes, and it was a disgustingly hot spring and summer, so they are extra good thus year.

One small recompense for 105 degrees and humid.
temporus
Aug. 23rd, 2012 02:50 am (UTC)
I am jealous of your ability to grow awesome tomatoes. I think my wife and I are the only two people in New Jersey that can't seem to grow tomatoes worth a damn.

matociquala
Aug. 23rd, 2012 12:45 pm (UTC)
I didn't grow this one; I bought it at the coop. But it's from here in town, which pretty much makes all the difference.
mecurtin
Aug. 23rd, 2012 04:12 am (UTC)
Does this mean you don't do Cherokee Purples?

Heirloom tomatoes are a religious experience.
matociquala
Aug. 23rd, 2012 12:44 pm (UTC)
They're very nice, but Paul Robesons are better*. I've grown both.

*I should say, to my taste. My mom prefers the Cherokee purples.

Edited at 2012-08-23 12:47 pm (UTC)
hani
Aug. 23rd, 2012 05:06 am (UTC)
Man, I thought that was an apple!
caligogreywings
Aug. 23rd, 2012 05:23 am (UTC)
I absolutely cannot wait until about mid september, when the honeycrisp apples start coming in. They are the best tart-sweet things, and so huge! Yum.
la_marquise_de_
Aug. 23rd, 2012 10:51 am (UTC)
Autumn is the best time of all. I can feel my mood starting to lift as it approaches in all its glory.
I am so glad I'm not the only person who thinks tomatoes make a fine dessert!
matociquala
Aug. 23rd, 2012 02:41 pm (UTC)
Autumn is the best time. Especially here.
la_marquise_de_
Aug. 23rd, 2012 04:32 pm (UTC)
So I hear :-)
I once went to Ithaca, NY, in very early Nov. Just glorious.
phialastring
Aug. 23rd, 2012 04:00 pm (UTC)
Garden Peach, eh?

*makes notes for next year*

I foolishly put in only one tomatillo plant without realizing that they don't self-pollinate, but there are tomatillos! And I am swamped with giant white and small purple and tiny gold tomatoes.

I can't even find my tomato notes from this year; I need to go dig through the vines for the tags. Notes for next year may be overly optimistic.
tinyfroglet
Aug. 24th, 2012 05:16 pm (UTC)
Would have loved to see a photo of the tree frog! We hear them often here (California Tree Frogs), but rarely see them.

A new summer joy for us has been pluots from the Farmer's Market. Never tasted one before this year, but we eat them for breakfast every day. Will be sad to see them go...
( 17 comments — Leave a comment )

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