Fare thee well dear tomatoes

Yesterday a friend approached me about the "eat local thing".  He really wanted to see if he could commit to eating within his foodshed.  Great!  And so we began a discussion of what this would mean.   "But, but, you mean no salad???" he asked.  Well, I told him, I don't usually eat the green salads we've been enjoying all spring and summer once the frost comes unless it comes from a local greenhouse (and I'm not growing my own--yet.)  When I told him that I probably already had my last tomato until next June, he was nearly beside himself. 

But it will be okay, I assured him.  We have some wonderful veggies that we can eat all winter long and with some creativity, we may not even get too tired of them.  Celery root, potatoes of all kinds, carrots, parsnips, all those that keep nice and cool in your veggie bin or root cellar.  But for the next few months we must be content with dreaming about the tomatoes to come.  When I begin putting the garden to bed on Thursday, it is the dream of next year's juicy crop that will keep me going.

Last year I wasn't as successful at eating locally in December as I would have liked.  But I'm ready now.  It may not be a cakewalk, but it will be a little bit easier given the lesson's I've learned. 

Comments

[David]

Bah! Most of our garden is in jars in the basement! We'll be eating our tomatoes.... probably almost until next year's are ready!

[k barry]

I've become a fan of slow roasting tomatoes, and then freezing them. Its like summer sunshine come February. Which is about the time we start to tire of squash.

[Jennifer]

Dave and Kathy,

See, I would have been right with you but my tomatoes didn't add up enough for jarring. I ate too many and then lost them early. I do have one jar of slow roasted tomatoes but that's it. If you ever want to "share the love" I've got a mailbox at the Co-op! ;-)