You Say Tomato, I Say Tomato, Tomato and More Tomatoes!

Hello again! Yes, I have been absent for quite some time as the summer was in full boil the last time I wrote and now the leaves are touched with the golden hand of autumn. I hope you are all happy and well! We have much to catch up on and I am so glad you have taking time out of your day to check in on the local eco haunts. I feel like this post is going to be a big catch up on the season so I guess I will just dive in.

While I was away I totally missed the peak season on tomatoes. I do hope you had some great ones as did I. I grew several varieties this year in pots which was not exactly the right thing to do if you plan to be away for a month during a drought. My neighbors were wonderful and watered when they could, so I did get some lovelies when I arrived home. My main competition for my tomatoes...the fox. Yes, fox do eat tomatoes...at least this is my best guess according to the bite marks on the half eaten, mind you only ripe, tomatoes that I found on the ground.

So my tomatoes did not fare so well, but that doesn't mean that the other resources in the area did not help. I have 2 new finds to tell you about....albeit so very late in the season. Just tuck this into your mind for next year. First, I want to tell you about the local man who sells tomatoes and squash out of his garage on the corner of Franklin and Haverhill streets. There is a sign on a post that you can see when you are headed to Haverhill on Franklin. Don't be shy... pull in and check out the feast of tomatoes that are laid out on the tables. He also has squash the size of baseball bats....I am not kidding. I have no idea what variety they are and it is a bit hard to get the answers as the gardener is a native of Italy. I have heard through the grapevine (Mr. A. my super gardener friend) that his property at one time was a horse farm ,so according to him, how could you not have a super tomato patch with 50 years of manure. Well now, who knew! No more horses to be seen now, but hundreds of tomato plants and oodles of squash dominate the space and it really is quite a sight and quite a find. So don't hesitate to practice some Italian and order up molto pomodori, per favore.

My next find is found right of the Wakefield circle on Lowell street, just about 3 houses down at #222. This gardener also sells to the public. He not only sells tomatoes but he specializes in fruit trees. I was tipped off to this local by an eco minded friend who bought peaches and declared them wonderful. So off I went in search of wonderful peaches and I was not disappointed. The owner is a friendly man who was only too happy to show me his wonderful back yard and let me tell you what a surprise. We all know how busy a road this large Victorian house sits on, but it hides such a lovely open expanse that goes all the way to the Saugus River. Many varieties of fruit trees are able to be spied, and off course a huge garden fenced to keep the deer at bay. According to Paul, the owner, deer love macintosh. Well so will you. Unfortunately, the peach season is ending quickly but next up will be apples. Just drive up to the sign at the front of the house and deposit your dollar per bag of goodies and off you go! He also was selling tomatoes and he said that he sold out of them this weekend fast. Well why not! They are really great. So not only did I wind up buying 3 bags of peaches 3 bags of tomatoes I went back and bought a box of "flawed" peaches so I could preserve them. So you see I have been a busy beaver!

Now what did I do with all of this produce, plus my weekly farm share.?I dehydrated some tomatoes, froze the peaches, baked a peach tart and made a huge pot of tomato sauce. I have not even mentioned that Mr. A. insisted that I clear a giant row of green beans and I probably had more than 10 pound of beans that I needed to do something with. I have canned this year, but I felt a bit overwhelmed, so I the advice of a reader, I took the plunge and got myself a Foodsaver vacuum sealer. I guess what sealed the deal (pun very much intended) was that the peach people told me how they used to can more, but now they freeze many items now. I am a bit ashamed to admit that I have a much underused freezer that is using energy, so I figured that I should use it more and not be so wasteful. The other confession is that yes, parts are made in China. So I had to do a pro-con thing and brought it home. My husband is great with directions and walked me through the simple process that even a distracted Ecoreading could follow it.

While I was away, I really was still thinking, learning and researching about being committed to eating local by reading the much talked, and Ecoreading reader recommended Barbara Kingsolver memoir, Animal Vegetable Miracle. This is such a rich and informative book that can really propel your knowledge and commitment to a higher level. The website alone can keep you occupied for days and I can guarantee you will want to try a new step in the direction of being a local food consumer. She did an amazing job at communicating the need for rethinking our reliance of food grown so far away from our communities and really inspires to move beyond our comfort level. I could have done without the somewhat preachy 18 year old daughter essays, but hey, she is further along the chain that I am! But really, nobody wants to listen to an intelligent, thoughtful, and caring 18 year-old no matter how earnest. O.K. that is just me. :)

I just wanted to finish with a tip on a wonderful event happening this Saturday in Orange. (Rt. 2 and head west). It is the annual Garlic and Arts Festival and if last year is any indication, it should be wonderful. You can buy all sorts of locally produced products, listen to music that uses a solar power grid, and see proof that there can be such a thing as a zero waste human gathering. It is really packed with all kinds of inspiring ideas and really terrific folks that a good time is almost a given. I will be there with family and hopefully will run into you! Talk with you next week!