Tomatoes: 2 out of 3

Out of the three varieties of tomatoes I grew this season, two will make a return appearance next summer: Sungold and Odoriko.

I don't have to say much for those who have grown Sungolds before. After several years' resistance for not growing them--in general I avoid jumping on the bandwagon-- I caved last year and will never look back. Sungolds will always have a spot in my garden. They easily ripen and continue ripening even while temperatures drop as fall approaches.

Tasty Sungold!

I generally stick with varieties with 65 days to maturity. I was skeptical of the Odoriko since they were quite large and very green. But then they turned a slight red-orange color and quickly ripened with a pink tinge. They are super flavorful and great for slicing on burgers or tossing into pasta dishes. I just made a eggplant dip that called for diced tomatoes and used the Odorikos. Their sweet yet tangy flavor were a great balance to the garlic and eggplant's earthiness.

Odoriko: technically a "pink-fleshed tomato"

 

The one tomato that I was super excited to grow and was such a bust was the Indigo Blueberry. I had the regular Indigo Blue which are deep purple to almost black with a true red underside that carries over inside the fruit. First disappointment was they take forever to ripen. The Sungolds were in full swing as the Indigos were just starting to redden. Second disappointment, it lacked the concentrated flavor that cherry tomatoes should have. Overall the flavor was "meh." The third disappointment was their texture. The fruits were watery and combined with a watered-down flavor; leaving a lot to be desired. I removed a robust plant, full of fruit, from my backyard because it just wasn't worth the space it was taking.

 

 Bummer...those fruits should be red!

 

 

Next season, I'm going to stick with the "tried-and-true-two": Sungold and Odoriko. And I'll add one more variety to mix it up and try something new.

 



 

Spring Seed Sowing

Where does the time go!? I can't believe my last post was in January.  And with the summer-like weather yesterday, I'm already thinking ahead to tomatoes.

All my seeds arrived from Kitazawa, Territorial, and Fedco. And my bareroot plants from Raintree are in the ground: purple asparagus, Jewel Black raspberry, and a hedge form of serviceberry.

Out of the many seeds I ordered this season, I am most looking forward to growing the Indigo Blue Berries tomato. I've been buying these at farmers' market for a couple of years now and decided grow them myself this year. They are a small cherry type with deep bluish purple skin with hints of red, and super flavorful. The need 75 days until maturity and I've successfully grown other cherry tomatoes with similar timing so I'm hoping they'll do well.

 

 

Other veggies I'm looking forward to growing are purple pac choi, painted serpent cucumbers, and zucchini. I'm surprised that this will be my first time growing zucchini given how successful else is at growing it. This is your warning: lock your car doors!

 

Repeats of previous years that will be grown again this year are eggplant, shishito, escarole and tomato 'Odoriko.' This tomato is pink fleshed, a little larger than a roma and very flavorful. It also has a short requirement for maturity making it ideal for Seattle summers.

 

That's only about half of the seeds I ordered, and I'm already feeling a space crunch. My eyes are definitely bigger than my garden!

 

Seasonal Denial

I've been trying to make the transition into fall; putting my summer garden to rest. These last few days of rainy forecasts trumped by warm sun aren't helping.

I popped the last round of ripe Sun Golds into my mouth as though they would give me the courage to start yanking out plants. But look at all the green tomatoes that may easily turn yellow with a couple more days of this weather! I couldn't do it.

Really these are going to ripen...

 

The Shishito peppers, packed with flowers, made it difficult as well. The sun was warm on my back; certainly a few more warm days will help bring on another round, right? But then I caught a slight scent in the air finally convincing me this won't last. I collected another bowl to be wok fried as I plucked the plants from the garden.

 

 

All those white flowers made it tough!

 

The peppers I collected were significantly larger than the ones from earlier this summer. I saw some for sale at the Friday Harbor farmers' market a couple of weeks ago. I was a little envious since theirs were much bigger than the ones we had. And $8 a pound! I'll have to say they are spicy and loose that distinct, concentrated "green" flavor compared to the smaller, younger fruits. Plus, the larger they are, the longer they take to cook. And when it comes to snacking on these, you want them to be done quick!

 

 

Wok-a! Wok-a!

 

I needed little convincing with pulling out the basil though. Once the nights get below 50 degrees, basil slimes out pretty quickly. One last round of pesto. I brought the plants into the kitchen to pull the leaves off. As I took the left over plants out to the compost, my son asked why I was throwing the plants away. I explained basil is an annual and grows in the summer. I told him once it gets cold, the basil will die so it's time for them to go into the compost. A kid who likes to save EVERYTHING he didn't argue with me for once.

 

So long, farewell...

 

I've checked the forecast (NOAA is pretty accurate) and it's supposed to dip to 47 on Wed night. Perfect weather for turning my Sun Golds to mush for sure. In the meantime, I'll keep up my seasonal denial.



Dinner Showcase

Tonight's dinner featured several items from my garden...



Pesto with freshly picked basil tossed with Sun Gold tomatoes

 

 

The look other world-ly but they're just 'Hunger Gap' kale chips. My son's current favorite!

 

 

Flash fried 'Shishito' peppers sprinkled with kosher salt. Super tasty we almost gobbled them up before I remembered to take a picture.

 

I your summer garden is providing you with lots of yummy edible goodness! Bon apetit!

 

 

Sun Gold

I've been avoiding Sun Golds since I started growing my own tomatoes. "What's the big deal?" I've said to myself year after year.

Last summer, a colleague of mine left some at the greenhouse which I grew on in pots on site. I then knew what the big deal was. They ripen easily and have amazing flavor.

I decided this year to grow them in my garden and I can't get enough of them. Remember my earlier post about freaking out whether the plants were going to do anything? Well, they are doing well. My current problem is that they aren't ripening fast enough in order to keep up with our consumption!

Orange globes of goodness!

 

Not entirely related, but couldn't pass up sharing with you a photo of a sleepy bee on my orange hybrid dahlias this morning. When I was snapping photos of the Sun Golds, a few bees were caught dozing. When I first started gardening as an intern, I loved seeing slumbering bumblebees in the lavender early in the morning. 

 

It's hanging on well to that flower, but completely asleep!



More tomatoes

All my worrying over my tomato crop was for nothing. I'm happy to say that I have a decent amount this year even though it's September. Better late than never!

I tried several new types this year including Estonian Yellow Cherry (EYC) and the Columbianum Wild Form (CWF). I found these through Adaptive Seeds.

The EYC have a sunny yellow color and have almost a citrus undertone to their flavor. After enjoying Sun Golds during lunch today, these lack depth in tomato flavor.

I gathered at least 30 of the CWF's. My son was helping me and said "We have enough tomatoes!" Unfortunately, I sliced and roasted them before I remembered to take their picture. Hey...I was hungry and it was dinner time! Straight off the vine, these are a tad mealy. It may be that I have skimped on water, but I've been stingy with watering other tomatoes before (ie: Black Cherry) and haven't had a problem. I acutally like stressing out tomatoes because it brings out their flavor.

Of course, I'm already thinking about what tomatoes I'll grow next year. I've enjoyed the Indigo Rose tomato from Let Us Farm. They grow the most gorgeous lettuce you've ever seen and have amazing tomatoes, too.

And it's been brought to my attention (and I should had known this--thank you readers!) that Sun Gold are a hybrid so the seed from the tomatoes will not come true. Read more on this forum. That's all the convincing I needed to gobble up all the ripe ones off the vine earlier today. Yum!

Sun Gold

Over the years I've been asking myself what the big deal is about 'Sun Gold' tomatoes. Why does everyone grow them around here? Why would I chose these over the really unusual varieties that I can start from seed?

Well, I'm now eating crow with a side of Sun Gold tomatoes.

I came across an extra plant at work and placed it in a hot sunny spot. Cherry-sized golden tomatoes were ripe before mine at home were flowering. And the balance of acidity and sweetness is just about perfect. Their flavor is even more intense if picked in the heat of the afternoon sun.

It will be hard to resist eating every single last one of these tomatoes. I'm going to let the ripe ones go to seed. I'm definitely growing this reliable variety next year! 

Tomatoes! Tomatoes!

I have a hard time deciding what tomatoes to grow each time I browse a seed catalog. The choices are overwhelming and I have to limit myself to three cultivars. Otherwise, I tend to lose track of what I've planted.

I'm one of the few people in Seattle who has successfully grown tasty tomatoes despite our mild summers. My trick is planting them in the front yard where I get maximum southern exposure. I don't worry about making a raised bed for them. They're planted right next to the shrubs and perennials.

When selecting a cultivar, I chose those that have short maturity rates; keeping it close to 75 days. Anything that takes 80 days or longer is not worth it. They will never ripen in time for those summer salads and you'll be seeking tomatoes out at the farmers' market instead (not a bad alternative, but still!). I also grow smaller fruited types since there's less tomato to ripen. I tried Purple Cherokees and others that were large heirlooms and they never ripened causing major disappointment.

Here are the ones that have caught my eye for this year:

From Adaptive Seeds: Wheatly's Frost Resistant. First off, who could go wrong with a name like that?! It definitely sounds like it's meant for our climate. Sixty days to maturity and although not exactly frost resistant, it does fine in cool weather. It's also a grape/cherry type fruit.

Also from Adaptive is Grappoli d'Inverno. It's not meant for fresh-off-the-vine eating, but is claimed to be a good roasting tomato. Up to 70 days until maturity, the vines are semi-determinate which means they are less rangy than their indeterminate counterparts. They claim that they are good for cold storage and are tied in bundles called ristras for the winter. I want to try this tomato just so I can make the ristras! We'll see...so many to choose from.

The other seed company I would like to order from is Osbourne Seed in Mt Vernon. I'm not sure if I'll go with them since it seems like they cater more to farmers (understandably) and less to those with small city lots. I may just do it anyway and share seed with friends.

There are three tomatoes that I would like to try from Osbourne. Sweet Hearts because they claim to be the best tasting cherry tomato they have trialed. The ripe fruit isn't dropped (I can't say that about the Black Cherry I had last year) and they're crack resistant. Also 65-68 days to maturity. Sounds good to me!

Solid Gold was suggested as a good pairing with Sweet Hearts and I like a contrasting yellow cherry to mix in salads. Seventy days to maturity and are claimed to be vigorous plants with a heavy yield. Plus, who doesn't want to be a Solid Gold dancer?

Viva Italia is my last tomato I will have to decide on. It takes 76 days to mature so pushing the upper limit there for me. But, I love a Roma tomatos and have tried them in the past with not so much success. These are determinate plants and are described as being compact and yielding more fruit. I may just have to take on the challenge!

So much to think about, but I'll need to figure it out quick. It's almost February and I'm feeling the pressure to get my orders in!

Edibles in Front

This is the second year I've planted my heat-loving tomatoes in the front garden and the first I included eggplant.

Last year, despite our minimal summer, I enjoyed a fair amount of tomatoes from my south-facing front yard. I decided it wasn't worth trying to grow them in the back yard this year. Even with my west facing beds, I have much more space in front for them.

We had another cool summer this year, but with the little heat we did get, I had a great crop of cherry tomatoes. Remember, I'm not growing big, beefy heirlooms like Purple Cherokee. I choose varieties that have less than 85 days to mature.

Look at these gorgeous Black Cherry tomatoes!



If wonderfully vine-ripened tomatoes are your goal, then you may want to consider changing your aesthetic perspective. I find tomato towers a nice accent to my perennials. Check it out. Wow! cherry tomatoes growing behind my Cape Fuchsia and Symphytum 'Axminster Gold.'




You can see the Symphytum again behind my 'Kyoto Egg' eggplant. Both types of eggplant thrived here.


Breaking the rules and norms can lead to beautiful veggies AND a beautiful garden. Get out there and try something new!

End-of-Summer Tomatoes

I wouldn't say I've had a glut of tomatoes this year, but I managed to collect at least two bowls full. Better late than never with the heat we had the last week and a half. You didn't hear this Seattleite complaining about the weather. I wanted ripe tomatoes!


I took this latest harvest and added it to the pesto pasta I made last night. The pesto was simple: basil, garlic, parmesan cheese and toasted hazelnuts. Whirl the ingredients in the food processor with enough olive oil to make a paste and a couple dashes of salt and Voila! It was a big hit with my friends.

Before adding the tomatoes to the pasta, I quartered them and sprinkled them with a little kosher salt and olive oil to bring out their bright and tangy flavor.

Maybe I'll grab some crusty bread at the farmer's market tomorrow and use the rest of them for bruschetta. It will be my toast to the end of summer as I feel the slight chill of fall in the air.

Tomatoes--Part II

I'll have to say that I'm super happy with my tomato crop this year. It wasn't looking very promising after having one of the coldest summers on record.

I hate to brag, but these look amazing!

My Principe Borghese tomatoes are continuing to ripen with the mild September days. It helps that they are also fully exposed to the sun in my south-facing garden.

The other thing I like about this variety is that with my laziness in never getting around to staking my vines (see previous post), the tomatoes on the ground seem to be just fine. No mushy spots where they've been resting on the soil. The slugs even seem to leave them alone. It may be that this tomato has a thicker skin compared to the Black Cherry--the other variety I'm growing.

The Principe Borghese is a great tomato to roast or braise with zucchini and eggplant. Toss them in the pan together with olive oil, salt, and pepper and serve over fresh pasta. The perfect way to celebrate summer harvest.

Feeling Cagey

Once again I failed to cage my tomatoes this year. They ran rampant through my whole garden giving a whole new meaning to tomato "vine." I liked how full the space looked and the plants were loaded with flowers. I did get a fair amount of fruit, but not as many ripened as I would've liked. It may be because the plants didn't take full advantage of the sun.

I did have success with the vines that tumbled over my rockery in the south-facing front garden. Even with the milder temps as summer drew to a close, the tomatoes continued to ripen. The rocks' radiant heat nicely warm the fruit--an extra bonus as I ate then straight from the garden.

The two varieties I chose this year were Black Cherry from Fedco Seeds and Principe Borghese from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Both did well in the areas of the garden with optimum sun exposure. Black Cherry has low acidity and very sweet. I love mixing them whole in my pasta with fresh pesto. Or, I'll even munch on them along side a tuna sandwich.

The Principe Borghese is more acidic with a very bright flavor. This is recommended as a sauce tomato. Since I had so few of them, I've been eating them straight from the garden.

I will definitely grow the Black Cherry again. The fruits are a deep rose color. And as long as they're not shaded by other plants like mine were, they readily ripen.

As far as tomato cages go, I really wanted to get the Ultimato cage. By June, everyone was sold out of them. I've also heard that most tomato cages are too small, and by the looks of my vines, I'm glad I didn't make the investment. So, maybe I'll jump on the Topsy Turvy bandwagon. It will make a lovely accent to our brand new porch next year!

First Tomato

My first tomato of the season is an 'Odoriko' which we discovered at Berkeley Bowl several summers ago. Eldon managed to find seed through Kitazawa Seed Co. so I gave them a try. They were aphid magnets as starts, but since they went into the ground I've had no problems. I'm growing a group in 2-gallon pots. Both doing well.

A couple of weeks ago, this single tomato was a true tomato-red color, but not quite ripe enough. A little squeeze with my hand told me that it wasn't ready--it had the firmness of an unripe nectarine. Eldon and I checked on it every evening. This summer, we haven't had our typical August heat so the tomatoes have been slow coming into their prime. It should be in the 80s in Seattle this time of year, and we've had rain and mid-60s for most of the month.

Last Saturday afternoon, I peaked at the tomato, and noticed it was starting to pull from the vine. I picked it, raced into the kitchen, and sliced it; setting aside a piece for Eldon. Such anticipation leading up to tasting my first tomato of 2007 from the garden. I was not disappointed--it tasted wonderful! Not only was there a perfect balance of acidity and sweetness, but it had a creamy texture. Inadequate watering can leave tomatoes mealy, and over watering can make them tasteless and cause them to split open.

I wouldn't say I am a "dry farmer," but I do only water when I see it is necessary. A little stress is fine for tomatoes. However, there are some varieties that will succumb to brown rot if they are not watered often enough (such as the sauce variety 'San Marzano'). When the leaves start to wilt, they need to be watered.

The other varieties I am currently growing are a Roman heirloom 'Pantano Romanesco,' 'Arkansas Traveler' (considered a "Hillbilly favorite" by Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds), and a small salad tomato 'Patio Orange.' I'll let you know how they're growing. Please send some sun our way in the meantime!