So, happily, the tomatoes in our little garden are going nuts! Not quite enough to start sharing with friends and neighbors because, well, quite frankly, not too many even make it into our house!
Hmmm...is there anything more Heavenly than stepping into the tomato patch, salt shaker in hand, and eating vine-ripened fruit right off the vine, warm from the sun? It's like tomato-flavored candy I tell's ya!
Have you ever taken the salt shaker into your tomato patch with you? That's one of my sweetest childhood memories! One summer, my mom grew tomatoes. This patch was HUGE! (or at least it seemed huge!) She spent a lot of time out there, I'm sure it was her respite. She'd hang out there smokin' her ciggies, snippin' tomato worms in half, (yeah I know, blech!) and watering those ginormous tomato plants! It was such a treat to hang out there with her, on those warm southern California evenings, eating our fill of ripened to perfection, sweet, warm, salted tomatoes! Summer!
So this one's for you Mom!!! May your life be full of ripe, salty, sweet, and warm summer tomatoes! :-)
Yes I most definitely have done that with my Granny so so many years ago. Matter of fact, I just wrote about it in a "Grandmother" book I am working on for grandkids for Christmas. I shared the memory. We are kindred spirits!
Posted by: Sharon at Norah'S | August 28, 2006 at 06:52 AM
You brought back some memories with that blog. No, my granny didn't have a tomato patch, nor did my Mom. It was MY tomato patch and my son with me. We used to have lots of tomatoes and loved going out there watering, snipping and savoring. I love the smell of the tomato plants. It's just a smell that fills your chest with the savory smell of nature. Yep, nothing like the taste of a homegrown tomato.
Posted by: Debbie | August 28, 2006 at 08:24 AM
I'm so happy you have these memories Shell Shell. I still have the same memories from my own grandmother's garden "down on the farm." Large ripe, fragrant tomatoes warm from the sunshine waiting for a hillbilly kid with a salt shaker (me)to come by. And my grandma in her lovely flowered dress (made from feed sacks) and the ever present bonnet for protection from the sun (no gentle southern lady could allow herself to sunburn) would be wielding a hoe against any weeds that dared to invade her garden. They were poor but the dinner table was always bountiful and delicious.
Posted by: GMa Jean | August 28, 2006 at 04:27 PM
Yummy! Nope, unfortunately I've never taken a salt shaker to a tomato patch.
Did you know that Ali Edwards is going to be at Art House tomorrow?
http://aliedwards.typepad.com/_a_/2006/08/just_fish.html
"If you are in/around the Portland, Oregon area tomorrow come by Art House from 6-8pm for "Ali & Apple Pie." Gotta love that - a book signing with PIE."
Posted by: Lilli | August 28, 2006 at 06:21 PM