Tomatoes!!

It’s the middle of winter here so the tomato plants should have shrivelled up to nothing by now.  However, here in the new house, a rather interesting thing is happening.

In the neighbours yard but poking through our fence is the most fabulous tomato plant.  Getting all the water from our property, getting full sun for a couple of hours every day and the warmth of that sun radiated back for a few more hours from the concrete and gravel it’s growing in, it’s producing the most amazing crop of little tomatoes that I’ve ever seen.  Or tasted.

Mini Tomatoes

These little wonders are tiny – smaller than a cherry – but are punching well above their weight.  The taste is EXACTLY the amazing flavour I remember from my childhood where tomatoes had flavour.  Really strong, sweet flavour!  Picked off the vine while still warm from the sun, these little guys are utterly amazing

We’ve been picking bowls of ripe, delicious goodness for two months and its showing no signs of slowing down.  In fact, the bush is covered with flowers and the tiniest green jade beads of deliciousness yet to come.  I’ve been gathering up fallen ones and drying the seeds carefully.  Come Spring, I’ll be trying my hand at planting a whole row of these things.

I’ve no idea what variety these might be – possibly they are some miniturised sport of Tommy Toe.  Or, less likely given my neighbours, they might be an old heirloom variety called Reisentraube.

Speaking of heirloom varieties, if you want to eat tomatoes that taste like tomates, you might like to try growing your own.  Two seed places that I highly recommend are Eden Seeds and The Diggers Club.  Both places gather, propogate and sell old-fashioned varieties of fruit, vegetables and herbs that have been abandoned by the large seed corporations like Monsanto because they are not “harvesting friendly” (ie: indestructable hybrids) or they aren’t absurdly over-sized or picture perfect. 

Do something good for your tastebuds and for your environment – grow your own!!