EMWTTSFM - Tomatoes, Tomatoes, and Tomatoes.
Food Review by Gary Gardiner
I once tilled Georgia clay into a leafy loam that could grow prize-winning tomatoes. The soil, packed as hard as brick, was softened by the application of chicken manure mixed with sawdust and the leaves my neighbors raked to the curb for the city to collect. That simple addition of organic matter made all the difference. Crumbly soil instead of clay clods, roots that reached deeper, and water that lingered instead of running off.
My soil became a small cause célèbre when Troy-Bilt visited, wanting to know how my Troy-Bilt turned Georgia clay into soil that would grow sumptuous tomatoes set in long rows between equally long rows of sugar snap peas, corn, potatoes, and peppers. The secret wasn’t in the tiller. It was in the organic material I added to the soil. It was how I took Piedmont soil, formed from ancient, weathered igneous and metamorphic rocks, and turned it into a Gwinnett County Fair prize-winning ketchup. Ketchup that had to be entered into the relish category because there wasn’t, and probably never will be, a ketchup category.
My Saturday Market tomato-filled cardboard carriage weighed ten pounds, about three-fourths of a pound per tomato. I discounted the smallest tomato. It was a different variety than the fist-sized HBN 589 hybrids I bought in bulk at From Scratch Farm in Johnstown. From Scratch farmer Taylor Wiggins said of all the tomatoes he’s grown, this is the one that provides the fleshiest, sweetest, and longest-lasting fruit possible. It’s a hybrid, not a GMO, that meets the market stall's test. Fruit that is uniform, large, and free from cracks so it sells by sight as much as by weight. But those qualities alone don’t seal the deal. The diner who takes one of these slicers home gets thick flesh, balanced acidity, and that unmistakable tomato richness that fills out a sandwich.
And sandwiches are what I made. These tomatoes deserved nothing less. Not chopped for salsa or sliced into chunks for a salad. Some were cut into thick slices, covered in Duke’s mayo, and sprinkled with lime pepper to add another element to a meal.`
Toasted ciabatta bread with honey-smoked ham and Swiss cheese or a BLT with pickles on the side. Both of these used Superfood Mix micro-greens from New Path Farm in Sunbury as substitutes for lettuce.
There were standard BLTs and a few burgers. Plus two focaccia breads with olive, oil, mozzarella cheese, one with additional peppers.
White bread with American or Monterey Jack cheese, tomato, and bacon broiled to perfection as a handheld snack.
BBQ Chicken with black beans and rice.
Three egg, three cheese, omelet with HBN 589 slices, cherry tomatoes, jalapenos, and home fries. And a biscuit with hot honey butter and orange marmalade.
And the rare southern delicacy, white bread with mayo and tomato.
Remnants of any of these tomatoes after slicing for sandwiches did not go to waste. Each remaining section was cut into large chunks, drizzled with a light coating of olive oil, and sprinkled with salt and lime pepper. Nothing was wasted. However, it might be a while before I buy ten pounds of tomatoes again.
The Green Grape Report
Food Review by Gary Gardiner
Meijer - Polaris Parkway
Brand - Green grapes from California.
Price - $1.99 a pound. This is becoming the standard for lowered pricing.
Appearance - Bright color with few flaws.
Size - Again, smaller than last week’s grapes, weighing an average of 5 grams. The average length measured from ten grapes is 21mm, with an average diameter of 19mm.
Crispiness - Crisp with a thin skin
Taste - Not as sweet. Measured at 17% sugar.
PLU Code - 4498
The Review
The wonderful surprise this week was when I pulled on a stem of grapes to remove it from the plastic bag. A single stem weighing two pounds, and there weren’t any single grapes remaining at the bottom of the bag. That might be a first for bagged grapes. It has happened with clamshell grapes, but I don’t recall ever pulling out a single stem with no stragglers in a bag before.
The first image that popped into my mind was an arbor heavy with pale grape clusters hanging from the vines. The pickers must have moved fast. The clusters were so large and uniform that they could fill their crates in minutes. It seemed like a harvest that practically picked itself.
My second choice for the week is Market District, which offers two-pound clamshell grape packages for $6.98, buy one, get one free. That is about $1.75 a pound, slightly less than Meijer and Kroger at $2.69. Not worth the gas money or time if you’re in Meijer. The flavor and size are about the same.
The Westerville News is a reader-supported publication by Gary Gardiner, a lifelong journalist who believes hyper-local reporting is the future of news. This publication focuses exclusively on Westerville—its local news, influence on Central Ohio, and how surrounding areas shape the community.
Explore more hyper-local reporting by subscribing to The Hilliard Beacon, Civic Capacity, Marysville Matters, The Ohio Roundtable, Shelby News Reporter, This Week in Toledo, and Into the Morning by Krista Steele.
Never too late to open that Blue Plate Diner and share some of those creations with the masses! Yum :)