Harvest.

{Considering Introducing myself to an Intro to Gardening.}

 

Mark works at Hope School, which is a school for severly handicapped children. He is the visual arts teacher. They also have a very abundant garden, and we are the benefactors to their bounty.

He brought home these beautiful tomatoes. As with almost everything, I don't really know much about different types of tomatoes. But, I do know a pretty fruit when I see one! (And, I know that tomatoes are a fruit. A berry to be exact.)

I made a tomato salad with the two tomatoes he bought from the school garden. I just added shallots, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil. Nothing more is really needed on a fresh tomato, grown in a sunny garden and picked at peak ripeness. I swear, I can taste the sun.

We do have a tomato plant growing successfully in the back yard. The kids get a few tomatoes a week, and we use them up. (full disclosure: I don't do any of the gardening, so my interest in gardening as a hobby is kind of a facade. Mark does it all, with help from the kids. But I intend to help out. I'll get there.)

I did a quick Wikipedia read and found out some fun facts. I love fun facts.

• China produces the most tomatoes worldwide
• Tomatoes came to the americas by the spanish conquistadors
• The tomato plant belongs to the nighshade family
• There are around 7500 varities of tomato fruits

So, it seems to me that tomatoes are on the easier side of growing. I see lots of apartment balconies with the Topsy Turvy Tomato Planter. With the availability of stuff like this, there's really no reason to buy mealy tomatoes at the supermarket. Not when you can grow some easily. It not the the aesthetic you're after, but hey...















Any tomato experts out there?  Any hints, advice or tidbits you can share with  me?