Tough Times

When tough times fall upon you, it is always good to have some good friends you can rely on. This year has been one of the worst tomato growing seasons. Not enought heat and to much mosisture leads to bland, watery fruit. Plus all that other business. When the brandywines, beefsteaks let us down it is good to have Sungolds and Green Grapes kicking ass and producing as they always do.

Therefore, it makes me even happier that we planted a whole bunch of Sungolds- or around here, the Gateway Tomato. You see, once upon a time I was not a tomato lover. I was put off by those bred for traveling, not for flavor or nutritonal sorts- you know the grocery store tomato in January variety. Thank goodness my tastebuds were picy because when tomatoes and I started our love affair, I was able to really enjoy and indulge in the best tomatoes on the planet, grown with my own hands. The sungold was the little bite that hooked me and from then on I have never been hesitant to eat any garden variety- I will avoid a tomato out of season like the plague. We have had fresh tomatoes around here well into October, I think we even kept one until November, picked green, wrapped in newspaper, stored in a cardboard box, pulling it out later to ripen and enjoy. We can them pureed from the blender, freeze them whole and this year, the biggest indulgence- drying them in my new dehydrator. Oh the sweetness of the sungolds ready for our winter without them.