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[Carlos del Vaca]

We've discussed the growing of tomatoes elsewhere, but I don't feel like looking for it to restart it.

So, at least this outrageously hot weather is good for something.  My beefsteak plant, after languishing all summer, has shot up in the last 10 days or so.  Looking good.  The brandywine, on the other hand, looks close to death.

Anybody heard of planting hairy vetch in your tomato patch in the off-season?  How'd it go?
http://www.doityourself.com/stry/tomatovetch

[KeithHernandez]

All I know on the subject is that tomatoes are my favorite food.  Seriously, homegrown tomatoes are the best thing in the world, just slice and add some salt, no need to do anything else.  I can even eat store bought tomatoes like apples.

Come to think of it, every tomato I have had has been pretty much better than average this summer (except one time--but it was at subway).

[Choop]

Down here in Atlanta, the heat and lack of rain have destroyed our squatters' garden tomato plants. The Roma plant still yields, but now it's only a couple fruit every couple days instead of a bunch of fruit every day. It's almost done with all the fruit it has. The beefsteak plants never had the yield of the Roma, neither in volume nor flavor, and stopped showing new fruit in late June. They're almost all picked now. The cucumbers, squash, and peppers all died a month ago, and the spinach, pole beans, and lettuce didn't last through May. The beets are still plumping in their raised bed, but languishing - the greens are all sagging to the soil, and we can't water it fast enough to keep them from dying.

Ah, well. Maybe next year!

[slink]

Certainly can't beat homegrown. My greenhouse has been quite fruitful the last few weeks, with a few varieties as well as some strawberries earlier in the summer. The tomatos have been fantastic, often just halved, drizzled with olive oil and served with warm bread, mozzarella and some prosciutto. That's if they get past the greenhouse door before being eaten!
As for store bought... The supermarket chain who bought out the Safeways in town has the worst grocery section ever. The tomatos they do just taste of nothing. And that's if they don't go mouldy within two days of purchase. I'm almost tempted to start growing tomatos hydroponically so I can have them year round, but it would be an awful lot of hassle.

[vivouk]

Cherry and plum tomatoes... 

[linnea]

It costs a damn arm and a leg to buy these ingredients in rural Alaska, but here's my favorite and most indulgent appetizer, EVER. If you live someplace where you can get fresh mozzarella and ripe tomatoes at any time of the day or night, be thankful. I haven't had fresh mozzarella since I was in Denver last June (cue tiny violins).

• Slice a ripe tomato into wheels and arrange on a plate.
  
• Sprinkle with salt (sea salt is great)
  
  • Drizzle with balsamic vinegar (balsamic reduction if you're feeling fancy...or carmelized onions from the Achewood cookbook if you're feeling fancier).
  
  If the store has them, serve with fresh buffalo mozzarella atop each slice and a fresh basil leaf. If you're looking to reduce fat in your diet, it's just as good with just tomatoes, salt, and balsamic vinegar. I've also had fresh sage with this dish, and it's just as tasty as basil.
  
  Weep with joy over each heavenly bite. You have just created one hell of a delicious appetizer.
  
  

[Nabubrush]

Oh sweet Jesus are tomatos ever bad in AK. I feel for you, linnea.

[Sub_Topical]

I'm sorry y'all are satanic worshipping psyco minions 'cause tomatos are basically the devil.

Fruit or Vegetable? Who cares when you're supposed to eat something that looks embryonically un-done when you cut it up to eat it.

BLECH! to quote a famous beagle.

[Choop]

BOO TO THAT S_T

Tomatoes are basically like treasure

[Sub_Topical]

Saying that just basically proves you should generally have a (beef)stake driven through the heart.

Tomatoes are not a treasure, they are something people throw at others because they don't want fuck_all to do with the nasty bastards. All full of jelly lookin' stuff...

[theinevitable]

yeah, seriously, I do not get tomatoes. They are not appetizing to me, unless they are in a Salsa or other Sauce.

[Choop]

Sub_T, inev, you're officially On Notice.

[AugustWest]

I do not like raw tomatoes either.  Cooked they are wonderful.  Raw they are slimy.

[theinevitable]

oh man, for some reason I never realized that it was a differentiation between cooked and raw tomatoes.

The only thing that doesn't explain is Salsa... but that still kind of bothers me. When I can get away with it, I get the saucy part, without the tomato chunks.

this is only really taste-effective when it's my mom's salsa, though. That salsa is so motherfuck*ng good.

[CortJstr]

my mom's salsa, though. That salsa is so motherfuck*ng good.

Creepy!