Late August afternoon, almost dusk, you walk into your vegetable garden to the row of heirloom tomatoes. Oh, there's a perfect one! You twist the fruit, warmed by the sun, from the vine and bring the green stem to your nose. It's an earthy, peppery smell that is unique in the world, and is not experienced in supermarket produce aisles. [Note to self: Hopefully this is not the smell of pesticide. We'll get back to you on this one.] Meanwhile, tips on how to grow tomatoes organically. And a favorite recipe for garden-grown tomatoes, courtesy of Food Network.
Gratuitous tomato advice:
1. NEVER put tomatoes in the refrigerator. And while allowing them to ripen on the windowsill or on a plate on the kitchen counter, arrange them so that they don't touch each other.
2. When cooking with tomatoes, sprinkle a little sugar into the dish before serving. This will counter the natural acidity of the fruit.
3. Don't let tomatoes rot. Blanch them in boiling water, drain thoroughly, bag and freeze.
4. A tomato sandwich should always be made with white bread and Duke's mayonnaise with a little salt and pepper.
5. True fans of the tomato will go without during the winter rather than endure the pulpy, flavorless specimens available from September through June.
The smell of a just-picked tomato is What's Beautiful #006.
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