Almost finished the tomato planting

[fastpat]

Put in almost three dozen tomato plants today, using a new technique, for me, to dig the ground up.

In CA, with the tiny yard we had, I used the concentrated, raised bed method to grow tomatoes, worked beautifully but wouldn't be practical for the much larger volume of production here at the farm. Since I don't own a plow, and current research seems to indicate plowing isn't the preferred method of small fiel production, I decided to use the three point post hole digger. I laid out two painted lines on the ground, around 30-35 feet in length, and drilled consecutive holes around 10 inches deep to break up the ground and stir up the top soil. Worked very well, though if I were planting a larger area, I'd rent a three point attached PTO driven rotary tiller for this job.

We'll try our hand at selling them when they're ripe.

The varieties are:
Red Lightning
Black Krim
Supersteak
Big Rainbow
Brandywine

My next job is to fence them in for predator protection. And keep an eye out for Tomato Horn Worms.

[austin552]

Jeez, your big time with the variety. Wifes got a few planted on the sunny side. I just want to learn to make some good sauce.

[fastpat]

Originally posted by austin552
Jeez, your big time with the variety. Wifes got a few planted on the sunny side. I just want to learn to make some good sauce.

I did that in CA, too. There was a side walk that ran parallel to the back of the house, with a planting space between it and the stucco house wall, which meant it was pretty warm there. We planted Roma tomatoes, and my wife made quite a bit of tomato sauce with them. You can find recipes online to make a variety of flavored sauces with them.

If I had to recommend a variety to try for eating, or sandwich use, I'd say try Black Krim. It's rich, almost smoky flavor is really something special. It's from the Caucauces area in what used to be the southern Soviet Union, maybe Georgia.

[austin552]

We did some sauce in NYC just off Broadway to die for! Gotta get some good recipes.

[vash]

explore dry roasting veggies to make sauce. it concentrates the flavor.

i am skipping the garden this year. i am weary.

[fastpat]

Originally posted by vash
explore dry roasting veggies to make sauce. it concentrates the flavor.

i am skipping the garden this year. i am weary.

If you've never had deep fried spinach, you'll not believe how concentrated and good it is.

No, it's not a southern dish. I first had it prepared by a neighbor (Harvard undergrad, masters from UNC-CH, from Minnisota) when I lived in Winston-Salem, NC. He had a large pot of hot cooking oil and lowered the spinach, 3 or 4 leaves at a time, in a small wire basket into the oil. It took just a few seconds to cook, coming out very crispy to be eaten as an apetizer. Yum=yum.

[vash]

i have done herb leaves like that! for garnishes. spinach? damn, i am going to try that one day.

[austin552]

Does sound good.

[VINMAN]

Now these are the kinds of posts I like to see from Pat!