Hummusgirl's Blog

I don’t know if I ever really mentioned it to all those reading from countries around the world, but I live with my parents, and my Mom has had a garden for as long as I can remember.  It has expanded a little every year (although it seems we run out of space sometimes!), and this year I tried growing asparagus (but it might prove difficult).

Anyway, we have a steady stream of tomatoes coming in that started in July.  I have been trying to make as many tomato dishes as I know how which include tomato corn salsa, cherry tomatoes with feta cheese (and red onions that came from our garden), gazpacho, layered lettuce pea salad, which I make at least once a week and uses slices of tomatoes on top, and my Mom has her own recipes.

Every time I take walks around the neighborhood, I notice a few gardens, and they always happen to grow tomatoes.  I wonder if they’re easier to grow than other vegetables??  I know they like warmth, (and also eggs shells for calcium) and judging from how hot summers have been lately, that seems prime for tomato season if you ask me!!  A couple years ago, I was home alone for a week, and the tomatoes were massive and all over the place so I gave a whole bunch to the food pantry and some friends.

But it makes you wonder, what is the attraction of this fruit, which wasn’t even considered edible until a couple centuries ago??  Why put so much time (and money) into growing tomatoes, when you came just buy them (in a bland state I might say) from the grocery store??  Is it really so important to have heirloom tomatoes when vine tomatoes from the store (which are probably more often than not grown hydroponically), are notoriously tasteless?  Has growing your own tomatoes become in sync with the farm to table movement?? I have a feeling it has thank you very much!!