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This seasons first tomatoes are on the vine and I’m ridiculously excited.
Although it’s been another slow start to spring (with more cooler days than warm ones and excessive moisture) the process of growth has continued to truck along, and for my efforts I’m rewarded with fruit on the vine.
Why everyone else doesn’t grow their own is beyond me. Put aside the obvious environmental benefits, there is a great sense of joy and achievement you get from seeing your hard work turn into something you can feed the family with. For example, I recently pulled out the first of the onions from the Graceview veg patch and you couldn’t wipe the smile from my face. Said smile expanded when I sliced that very onion for addition to a dish. Pure friggin joy! A sense of achievement and all that jazz. I think that’s one thing lacking in our current society……doing real things that require real effort that have a real result.
A dear friend of mine, (who admits to being a challenged carer of living plants) was recently so excited about spotting the first tomato in her potted garden, that she almost fell off her apartment balcony. I bet for the remainder of the summer that plant will be receiving more love from her than a chimp would at Jackson Neverland, and no doubt that very much loved tomato plant will in turn reward her with beautiful tasting tomatoes and a great sense of achievement from working hand in hand with nature.
It’s not just the tomatoes that are in full swing, but more exciting is the veg that’s ready to put on a plate. The broad beans are going nuts this time of year. They worked very well with some grilled chicken, smothered in my parsley pesto, a squeeze of lemon, some fried pancetta and blanched broad beans. Simple…not gouuuuurrrrmeT nor ‘foodie’ just basic real food.
Is it obvious that I really wish people would stop calling me a foodie!
Just last week I gave a colleague a collection of extra seeds I had no room for, soy beans, green beans, zuchs & cuces.
She bounced into the office this morning, ridiculously excited that they had all sprouted, every single seed.
Joy.
Thats unreal!!! I hope she brings the finished product to the office!!
Ooooooooh. Your tomatoes are seriously outdoing my one tomato but your kind words are indeed true – I peer at my little baby tomato every morning while cradling a cup of tea and I LOVE IT like it’s a human. I don’t know if I’ll be able to eat it. I even spoke to it the other day…eep!
Hooked baby! Hooked!
“doing real things that require real effort that have a real result”
Nailed it Rohan! Growing your own and eating it with joy is about as real as real gets.
Word!
lucky ducky… mine have just started flowering… late bloomers, just like their mama…
They’ll get there!!! Today I’m planting some really late seedlings out at the block, unless we get a super hot summer I’ll probably not get much fruit. At least I have plenty in my kitchen garden!
Hmmm, I think “basic real food” is what I consider the best.. I even your garden and would grow one myself if I knew I wouldn’t be gone the entire summer (no one to water the little babies…)… but some day!! Lovely post, love you cooking, and promise I won’t call you a “foodie”:) (hope I haven’t already??)
Thank you very much!!!
Foodie is the worst word EVER.
Totally agree. I really feel uncomfortable being referred to as one!! Just because I don’t re-heat oven fries and microwave instant risotto I’m automatically labelled a foodie…..ouch!
Hey I’ve finally added you to my Food Folk list!!! How remise of me!! Sorry!!
oh thanks so much Rohan! That means a lot!
I am so crazy about tomato plants (and their smell) that I literally rub my face all over their leaves at least once a day. Am so happy they’re growing well desipte my fears for our courtyards shadiness. Tomatos are magic! Two of my plants are already taller than me (5’8!) and hang heavy with fruit – waiting for my first ripened tomato have been some kind of joyous torture. Gush Gush Gush Gush Gush.
Those tommies look lovely, and I know just what you mean about ridiculously excited. Last night I was dancing around like I had just won tattslotto. I cracked it for my first sourdough loaf. Call me biased, but it is the best thing I have ever tasted. And the other thing. I have cracked it for a gluten free loaf that looks and tastes like a light rye loaf. None of that garbage cakey stuff, and the easiest bread I have ever made. I think my two coeliac friends are going to love me.
My aunt’s tomato plants are really getting into their element, too. I can’t wait to taste them on my next visit!
Have you dried your broad beans before?
Did you double peel them first?
Yeah I dry them for planting the following season. I let them dry in the pod, as they don’t like to dry out quickly when peeled. When I eat them I blanch them and remove the outer skin before eating. Especially the massive ones. I find the skin a bit bitter. Fresh in the garden I eat them whole!
Do you have any tips for growing carrots? I just don’t seem to have any luck. Either they don’t germinate or they are just a bit pathetic when they do. My broad beans have been fab too. And we’ve got buckets of spuds. Tomatoes and basil on the way but we need some more sunshine. More rain would be good too.
They can be a pain to grow! The soil is the key. They don’t seem to like highly fertilized soil, as they will twist and gnarl, and they don’t like clay. The other thing I’ve learnt is the best results come from direct seed planting with a thinning out as the plants grow. This gives the carrot a more room to grow and less competition. This year I’m experimenting with growing carrots directly in premium potting mix, and the results so far are promising. They seem to like the looseness of the potting mix and I’m giving them a bit of a feed with home made liquid fertilizer of horse manure soaked in water for a month. They seem to like it!!
Finally got the chance to sit down and go through your ABC shows – fantastic!
Am particularly keen to get a smoker now ( maybe hubby would like one for his birthday this week!)
Our tomatoes are not doing so well this year with all the rain and cooler temps but hoping they will just kick in a little late.
Sue, they will get there! I have just planted the last batch of seedlings! So we have some advanced tommies and some that will fruit very late in the season which should give us good supply right through to Autumn. Yes it’s a slow season like last year. I think I’ll still have tommies in the vine in March and April!!!
Get a smoker! For the hubbie…sure ;-)