the tomato

This post is dedicated to one red tomato. This tomato was grown by my son, Brad, who moved away to Victoria and left his tomatoes on the vines. tomatoes are not particularly easy to grow in Calgary, especially if you don’t get them planted as early in the season as possible in a terrific location. These tomato plants did not have these advantages. Brad planted 4 tomato plants, and the total yield for the season was 13 tomatoes. Of the 13 tomatoes, only 1 ripened on the vine. The rest were as green as grass when I picked them. There was a danger that the frost would get them, so I had to do it. Now that the fruit is indoors, the ripening is finally gaining momentum. I photographed the plants in all their glory, after a light frost that destroyed the leaves of the plants, and the tomatoes in the house. Tomorrow I’m going to slice into the beautiful red tomato and see how it tastes. So much anticipation…

I debated how to eat this special garden produce and decided a simple preparation would be best. I needed some fresh mozzarella so that I could eat this beautiful tomato and truly enjoy the taste. I sliced it and served it with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. With the addition of a little salt and pepper, it was heavenly. I’m sorry that Brad was unable to share the “fruit” of his labor, but hopefully he will be able to grow a great garden in Victoria next year.