5.31.2010

Tomato Finale


Somehow this month flew by and I still had lots more to say about tomatoes. Oh well, we'll have to focus on tomatoes again sometime. Until then we'll move to "Strawberry Circus" for June.

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5.30.2010

Cherokee Tomato

And for my last tomato request...the Cherokee. An heirloom with a hint of purple. Thanks to Kim for the suggestion via Facebook!

5.29.2010

Yellow Pear Tomatoes


These are the cutest things. Small, pear-like tomatoes in a fun bright yellow. {Thanks for the suggestion Tara!}

5.28.2010

Green Zebra Tomato


On my Facebook Page I asked the question..."tell me your favorite tomato". The next couple of days will highlight those answers, with this one being the first. Maybe I should just devote a month to tomato types. I could go on and on. {Thanks for the suggestion Dan!}

5.27.2010

Throwing Tomatoes

Does anyone know how the whole idea of throwing rotten tomatoes as a sign of distate began? And, really, how many people carry a satchel of smelly tomatoes to a presentation anyway?

On a good note, I'd like to thank Vicki at Simply Hue for featuring my artwork on her site this week. There's no throwing rotten tomatoes at that.

5.25.2010

The Tomato Wagon

Sometimes we have so many tomatoes that we run out of places to store them. Often the wagon serves this purpose. Of course, this location allows visitors to grab a few for themselves too.

5.24.2010

Free Food: Coffee and Tomatoes

It seems there is always an abundance of two things...coffee and tomatoes. This overpopulation often results in free giveaways. Why, oh why do I not like either one?! Why can't I walk into an office and have someone offer me a piece of cheesecake or a bowl of ice cream? Or have someone leave a basket of brownies, day after day, in late summer with a sign that says "free for the taking." {print available}

5.21.2010

24 Pounds

Americans eat approximately 24 pounds of tomatoes per person, per year (BellyBytes.com). Not liking tomatoes and all, I wonder if I consume that much just through ketchup and tomato soup? Hmmm....

Did you know that I have tomato notecards available? I almost forgot!

5.20.2010

Good for You

Americans obtain more vitamins from tomatoes than from any other vegetable (BellyBytes.com). Ugh, I guess that means I should eat more tomatoes?

{print available}

5.19.2010

The Tomato/Cucumber Swap

I love cucumbers and my husband loves tomatoes, but neither of us like the opposite. The result is the "swap". When we are at a restaurant peering into our mixed salads, we each poke the appropriate vegetable with our fork and gently place it in our spouse's salad. The result is a salad monoculture making us both happy.

5.18.2010

Canning

Speaking of canning tomatoes...

As much as I respect and love this art I just don't have an interest in doing it. Though, I do think a wall of canned fruits and vegetables is one of the most beautiful things to see.

I am always happy to enjoy other's delectable canned creations...even tomatoes.

5.17.2010

My Obsessive Husband

Yes, my husband enjoys tomatoes too...and let me point out he does nothing small.

He collects RedWing dinnerware and pottery (we have a whole room dedicated to it), he loves hostas (we have over 200+ cultivars in our yard), he is a crafty carpenter (with a whole workshop full of tools), and he enjoys vegetable gardening. One year he planted hundreds of pumpkins and our whole front yard was covered in smiling jack-o-lanterns. The same year he planted over fifty tomato plants (about 15 different kinds).

Remember...I don't like tomatoes and my mom didn't even live close enough to enjoy one of them. I'm not even sure where they all went..neighbors, friends, canning??

5.14.2010

Raw vs. Liquified

I know this is a common oddity among those with distaste for tomatoes...we don't like raw tomatoes, but love tomato soup, spaghetti sauce, ketchup, and even salsa. Hey, at least I can use the tomato in some format...since there are millions of them.

5.12.2010

Happy Tomato

Okay, so my mom is a tomato madwoman. In my childhood home rows of tomatoes often lined the countertop...all happily waiting to ripen for the next perfect tomato snack. Tomatoes on cottage cheese, tomatoes on burgers, or sliced tomatoes with a simple sprinkle of salt. I just lived my parallel tomato-less life.

5.11.2010

Gravel, Grass and Growing Tomatoes

Imagine living in a 1970s ranch with a gravel driveway, a sloping lawn, one single mulberry tree, and a lone tomato plant. That is my garden history.

My parents were not gardeners, so our yard was devoid of all those shrubby extras. There was only one plant that my mom mastered: the tomato.

Her love for that juicy vegetable meant one green plant always grew between our small concrete path and the house foundation.

5.10.2010

Vegetable by Law

Botanically speaking tomatoes are fruit. In the culinary world they are vegetables. Here is an interesting tidbit...in 1883 the tomato was legally defined as a vegetable. Why? Find out more here. Thanks to Leila for sharing this via Facebook.

{print available}

5.07.2010

A Culinary Term



The word "vegetable" is actually a culinary term, not a botanical one. When cooking, the tomato is indeed a vegetable, but if studying botany it would be referred to as a fruit.

Does that clear it up for you?

{print available}

5.06.2010

Fruit or Vegetable?


We've all heard someone say this at one point..."Did you know that a tomato is really a fruit?" Botanically speaking, tomatoes are indeed fruit, as well as, cucumbers, peppers, and anything with seeds inside it.

A broad definition from Wikipedia: a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.

The fleshy part is a trick to encourage animals (including us) to eat seeds and in-turn disperse them. You know, the plant kingdom has to survive somehow.

So what exactly is a "vegetable"? Check in tomorrow.

5.05.2010

My Secret

I don't like tomatoes. So why in the world am I dedicating a whole month of illustrations to them? Two reasons...first, I have a lot of personal tomato stories (strange as it is) and second, I really love drawing tomatoes. They are quite happy-looking. It's not that I hate tomatoes, it's just that I really don't love the taste of them (at least in the raw state).

5.03.2010

The Tomato Chronicles

This month I'll be sharing my quirky relationship with the tomato. It will include the good, the bad and the saucy. I hope to see you around the garden!