Look what I found hiding in the indeterminate tomato patch tonight!
A real, honest to goodness vine ripened heirloom tomato! This was from seed that was labeled "Cherokee Purple", but it's a potato leaf plant, and the tomato doesn't look very purple to me, so I'm not really sure of the variety.
Of course, we tasted it immediately. It wasn't quite perfect, but much closer than the others have been. At least it didn't taste like a "cardboard" store-bought tomato! If we hadn't been so full from just having eaten dinner, it would have probably tasted even better.
The kitchen window sill is beginning to look like summer, with Volvograds on the left and Russian Persimmons on the right.
Yesterday I showed you the jungle that was the west garden. This is the jungle that is the north garden. Lots of tomatoes on these vines! (Click to enlarge).
Borage, godetia and pansies to attract the bees.
I think the pumpkin is ripe for picking now.
Annie relaxing in the cool of the evening.
Otto looking out the sliding glass door, through the doggy snotty-nose prints.
They had their rabies boosters on Friday, and are sporting their new turquoise rabies tags.
They had their rabies boosters on Friday, and are sporting their new turquoise rabies tags.
I just love seeing pics of your garden, though I'm quite envious that mine isn't as big, and that my produce doesn't get so giant either! That pumkin looks so sweet!! I can't wait for summer here to start my tomatoes! Congrats on the unique treasure (tomato) you found hiding in your garden! :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the nice ripe tomato!
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love the noseprinted glass? Somehow I find noseprints on windows I don't think they're ever even near (because I keep those doors closed). My car windows are the worst!
Thank you, Marrissa! it's always an exciting moment to find that first vine ripened tomato. It's a good thing it was hiding from me...the others were picked too early, because I just couldn't wait ;-)
ReplyDeleteYou're gonna be drowning in tomatoes pretty soon. As drownings go, there are lots worse things to be drowning in...
ReplyDeleteGive the puppies a pat or two from me!
Amy, the nose prints don't bother me a bit...they come from such sweet little noses! Yes, our car and pickup windows are really smeared.
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SB, I bought two dozen new canning jars last week. I'm getting ready for those tomatoes!
Puppies have been patted ;-)
Jealousy, jealousy!! That tomato, though quite odd looking, is still A TOMATO-you lucky lucky gal. I was admiring my tomato blossums yesterday......considering we get the first frost end of August, that may be ALL I'm admiring this year. Durn it!!
ReplyDeleteNow that's what I call a tomato! reminds me of some of those huge Greek slicing tomatoes. Delicious with a drizzle of olive oil.
ReplyDeleteWoohoo! Congrats on your tomato. From the looks of it you will be enjoying many more to come. It IS a jungle, but such a beautiful one.
ReplyDeleteAnnie and Otto are such cuties. We have many nose prints on our windows too, especially the car and jeep.
Oh how wonderful. It doesn't look purple like the Cherokees Purples usually are though. And it is a potato leaf. And it isn't round like most of those type are. Maybe it got mislabled? It sounds and looks a lot like a brandywine to me. But whatever it is I looks really yummy. I can't wait for my first big tomato to come in.
ReplyDeleteYour tomatoes are looking divine! Mine have been a disappointment so far. We have been having cool, dry weather, and even though I keep a regular water schedule, when it does rain we are getting 1-2 inches at a time! Result: huge cracked, rotting tomatoes! I sure hope things turn around soon.
ReplyDeleteSue, the first of August? Oh my, that is awfully early. We usually get one freeze the middle of October, then "Indian Summer" for at least a couple more weeks.
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Heskie, it actually tasted like a tomato. Finally! I don't care that it was all cat faced and misshapen.
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GrafixMuse, it's getting to the point where I have to go over the fence to get to the middles of the gardens!
I love those little wet noses. They can smear up my windows any time. I spent too many years without puppy love, I'm really getting my share of it now :-)
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Daphne, I'm beginning to think most of the seeds I got from WinterSown were mislabeled. The Tumbling Tom doesn't tumble, it's a plain (and not very good) cherry, the Black Cherry has large green tomatoes so far, and two of the three Cherokee Purple had potato leaves. The one Roma type is definitely a Roma though.
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Erin, the flavor of all but this one has been a disappointment to me. I was looking forward to Russian Persimmon, it just sounded so good...it's nasty tasting! The others just mealy and bland.
Gorgeous tomatoes Granny! Once the "Cherokee Purple" produces more you could have a mystery 'mater contest.....I have no hope of figuring it out but if I did I'd like to win some of those mighty fine onions rings you make. Those look delish!
ReplyDeleteDesert Dame, I think I have about 15 varieties of tomatoes out there. If the rest of the "raised from seed" follow suit, we might have about ten mystery tomatoes entering that contest!
ReplyDeleteNice pumpkin granny :( **jealous face** Is it for cooking...cause it is a bit early for holloween pumpkins! It sure is pretty though.
ReplyDeleteI can see all those tomatoes without even enlarging! Wow. How many total tomato plants do you plant. My mom plants like a hundred! I think I have about 8. Plus 4 grape tomato plants. I have a little survivor one like yours too...something ate it down to a stub and I left it and it came back and is looking beautiful and has blooms. I was shocked!
Erin, you are not alone! We have been getting weather that sounds very similar to yours. I've also been gettin tomatoes alot like yours. I've gone the route of picking them a little early and putting them in the window to finish ripening. I was looking through my tomatoes today and found one that had "hid" from me... the top was not ripe but the bottom was mush.Congrats on the tomato Annie's Granny. May there be many more to come!
ReplyDeleteShawn Ann, I see pumpkin pies (bread, cookies) in the near future ;-)
ReplyDeleteIn a normal year, I only plant four regular and two cherry tomatoes. This year I got seeds for about ten different varieties from wintersown. org, plus I bought two varieties, and my neighbor gave me one. So at last count, I had 28 plants including 2 volunteers and the sickly green grape. Next year will probably be another "normal" year!
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Tiffany, I think there will be too many more to come ;-)
Cute little doggies!
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I have a pumpkin that is in a race to catch up to your lovely orange one AG! I swear it doubled in size in two days time. Amazing things - pumpkins and squashes.
ReplyDeleteThose pups are just too cute for words. My cat Sid has been hanging out under our adirondack chair on the front porch - it provides shade but lets him watch the world go by too. Been pretty darn warm for the critters this past week or so.
Rosey Pollen, Thank you, I think they are beautiful!
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KitsapFG, I think the big one is ripe. I'll probably cut it tomorrow.
Those pups are little lovers, and they love everybody! It is awfully hot, our new forecast is for 100+ for the next week.
It's truly a great time of year, isn't it? And how nice that you truly appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteWonderful tomatoes Granny! The Cherokee purple is looking rather pink, I'm with Daphne that it may be a Brandywine. I will have to check my Cherokee Purple plant tomorrow because I am pretty sure it is a regular leaf. Love the garden shots, everything is so lush and healthy looking. And the pumpkin is huge, what is its destiny?
ReplyDeleteStefaneener, it would be a greater time of year if it weren't 103F in the sun :-) I pretty much limit my gardening to that one hour before dusk.
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Dan, it was odd that the seeds labeled "Cherokee Purple" came up with both regular and potato leaves. I'm wondering if they cross pollinated with a Brandywine.
I'll probably cook and freeze most of the pumpkin, after I make a pie or two. We've decided we can't take the frozen foods with us to AZ, so we'll just leave the freezer plugged in here.
My goodness your tomatoes are loaded!! I love that borage that you are growing. I bought one this summer and it died almost immediately. I will try again next spring.
ReplyDeleteMissyM, LOL, I don't know what I'm going to do now. After today's tomato harvest I have 23 ripe tomatoes sitting here in my kitchen! None are quite up to par as far as flavor goes, so I don't want to can or freeze them. Looks like tomato sandwiches for breakfast, lunch and dinner!
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the borage. I direct seeded mine and lost a few to cutworms. I put some paper collars around the survivors and they really took off. That photo was taken after I trimmed out at least half the growth to give the godetia some room to breathe.
Hi, Granny:
ReplyDeleteYou're making me feel a little better about having almost all cherry tomatoes this year (accidentally). I like the taste of the cherries better than the bigger tomatoes, but I like the bragging rights you get when you grow a huge tomato. Looks like you're got some bragging rights with that pumpkin!
Cheryl, my Early Girl tomatoes should make quite an impression on the harvest scale. Although they aren't overly large, they are absolutely loaded! More than any other variety, except for the one Roma type I have which is almost all tomatoes and hardly any stems/leaves. I gave away a half dozen tomatoes yesterday, and will make a big bowl of fresh salsa for tonight's dinner. I expect I'll get enough ripe toms by next week that I can begin canning them.
ReplyDeleteOh I love your beautiful tomato "decorations" on your window sill!
ReplyDeleteLOL, Toni, I need more windowsills! I'm getting tomatoes by the big bowlfuls now.
ReplyDeleteHmm I wonder if my wintersown seeds are not true either? They all seem to be coming up correctly. Aliana is a yellow (finally starting to ripen) almost egg shaped tomato (though a bit more round than egg shaped). Miracle hasn't ripened yet, but seems the right shape and size. Chocolate Cherry is a nice brown cherry. Black Moor seemed more like a pear than an oblong, but really whats the difference? I wonder if Chocolate Cherry and Black Cherry will be very different.
ReplyDeleteDaphne, the Tumbling Tom doesn't tumble, and has a tough skin and no flavor, the Black Cherry looks like it will have full sized tomatoes (unless I'm looking at another plant, they have intermingled quite a bit in that bed), and of course there's the mystery of the Cherokee Purple that looks like a Brandywine. The others seem to be true to the named varieties, but a couple of them leave a lot to be desired as far as flavor, so I wonder if they are true. I don't know why anyone would want to keep them year after year! The Russian Persimmon and Volvograd are two I'll not plant again, but the Volvograd has to be the most prolific tomato I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteI tried to make salsa the other night. It was, to be kind, a great disappointment. Would you mind sharing your recipe?
ReplyDeleteCheryl, to be honest, mine was, I think, what would be called salsa fresca or pico de gallo. No recipe, I just dice up a bowl of tomatoes, add some diced onion (we like sweet, not hot, onions), dice up one or two jalapenos, chopped parsley (cilantro for those who like it), a squeeze or two of lemon juice (lime for purists, I can't really tell the difference in the end) and some salt and pepper. You can also add diced avocado, but Mr. H doesn't like it.
ReplyDeleteNow, if you want a good cooked/canned salsa recipe, I have one that is supposed to be the best. I haven't yet tried it, but I probably will when I get more tomatoes.
I used the exact same ingredients that you used except I had cilantro instead of parsley. I'm thinking I may have added too much onion.
ReplyDeleteWell, I know I'm on the right track, I'll just have to tweak the proportions.