ottawa foodies

There were no romas out at Parkdale on the weekend, but I stopped in on the way to work this morning to get a few cukes to munch on as a snack, and noticed they have just appeared in a few stalls. Still none of the big boxes of them, but I'll keep my eyes peeled and let y'all know.

Zym - thanks! Additionally, Nicastro's on Merivale usually has a ton of boxes of canning tomatoes around this time of the year. I'll have to scope that out sometime soon. The prices are usually very reasonable.

Not great for canning but I picked up a bsket of tomatoes at Food Basics for 2.29 yesterday. Toasted tomato sandwiches, stuffed tomatoes...This isn't a premiere year but these aren't bad (they are definitely better than my own)

No canning story... but I do have a Tomato Tale

I don't claim to have much of a green thumb (black if you ask me)... so growing anything that actually survives is a challenge. Last Summer I bought a "hanging basket" from Home Depot that was supposed to grow cherry tomatoes... lucky for me it produced about 6 in total (hardly worth the effort). But I felt quite proud in that it actually lived and gave me any sort of a harvest.

So this year, I went to Canadian Tire and bought a mini tomato plant (came in a small paper-mache pail) instructions said perfect for container - patio growing. Took it home and transplanted it into the recycled hanging pot from last summer.

And guess what, this sucker is flourishing. It has grown quite large, and become top heavy with the amount of fruit it is producing... so I had to tie up the stalks (interesting challenge considering there was only the a-frame of the hanging basket on which to do so). Yesterday I harvested my first 2 tomatoes from it... will eat them for lunch today.

The plant looks incredible... there will probably be a good feed of tomatoes for the rest of August and maybe even into September. "The Man" is amazed at my gardening skills... I'm gobsmacked and stunned that this thing hasn't up and died (particularly in all the heat we've had this week). Will definitely purchase another of this "hardy" variety next spring.

i always grow my tomatoes in containers. sure easy and my pots have wheels, so i can wheel them around if necessary. i am a front porch gardener since that is where i get my best light. the problem is, with my roma tomatoes, they are staggered in their growing so there is no way i could get enough to can at a time. instead i roast and freeze them to use later in the winter.

Are the tomatoes at Nicastro's (Merivale) local? And I mean Ontario or Quebec, mind you...field in our growing region? No snob here! I love Joe.

I have been growing cherry tomatoes on the deck and they are prolific this year! But even with the rain, they seem to require every day watering.

Glinda - not sure if the tomatoes are local or not, but I'll check the next time I drop in.

TOMATO UPDATE

Ok I ate the first of my "fruits of labour" today for lunch... tomato was about 2 to 2-1/2 inches across (size as advertized). Sliced it thin and served it up with salt and pepper. "The Man" squeezed a couple of slices into a Peameal Bacon Sandwich, I did that too (with mayo) but managed a couple of small bites just "as is". Delicious.

Looking forward to more.

$15 for 20lb of Romas at Parkdale right now.

They are from Quebec, but I did not ask where in Quebec. That's close enough for me at the moment. And cheap enough to whip off a bunch of them this weekend.

Lee Valley Tomato Mill == FAIL!!!

Way quicker and easier to do by hand.

Fortunately I saved my receipt, and I'll be returning it this week.

Video to come in the next day or so.

Interesting - we were given a food mill a while back, when I used to make salsa from scratch (used canned tomatoes for that now - way easier and tastes just as good for salsa). Our mill also crashed - Vittorla or something like that? Huge mess in the kitchen.

Part 1:

Part 2:

What was the problem with the lee valley tomato mill? Constant jamming? Tomato explosion? Deets please!

Zym. you inspired me, so sent my daughter out to Parkdale and she came back with a 20lb box $15.00, as well as #1 pickling cukes, dill, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries. I cant drive for a while so guess I will be staying home and canning and making jellies and jams.

Ohh, tomatoes in bulk. I ought to pick some up and denydrate them.

The mill was slower than doing it by hand - that was the problem.

Oh, also it only produces puree and my wife wanted stewed tomatoes. But just the fact that it is slower is all that mattered to me.