Photo Credit: Skinning Tomatoes by missy & the universe used under CC BY 2.0

By Steve Shetter Jr

I once worked in a restaurant called Portico’s.

It was equal to a four star restaurant and one night we had some very special guests and the chef wanted us to impress our guests.

I made this concasse and placed it in their salads and decorated their steaks with it upon coming from the grill.

The cool chill of the concasse blending with the Angus steak was very much liked and upon the guests returning, they wished to have the meal repeated.

Tomato Concasse is a food preparation technique that is defined as to crush the tomato after skinning and de-seeding. This is a very easy process that consists of a pot of boiling water, an ice water bath, and time. The ice bath is simply a bowl of ice water. Placing this next to the stove is essential as it help to reduce the cooktime of the tomato.

Remembering the first rule of vegetables, wash them before you use them. You first must get your water to a steady boil, not too violent. You then take your tomatoes and cut a small slit on the bottom and take out the stem end. Once you have the tomatoes prepared, place them into the boiling water and time for about 2 minutes. The time is important. Should the tomatoes be left in the water too long, the flesh of the tomato will begin to cook and ruin the results you are looking for.

Once the tomatoes have been in for the appropriate time you move them to the ice bath immediately. This in turn will stop the cooking process and aid in releasing the skins from the tomato. Once the skins have been removed by grabbing or pinching the slits you made on the bottom, quarter the tomato and using your thumb, scrape out the seeds. You have now successfully prepared your tomato. At this point you can chop or julienne or crush the tomato as your recipe calls for. Do not fear over cooking, getting it right takes time unless you are experienced in the kitchen. You can still use the tomatoes; it will be a little more of a challenge.

Typically this process is used to decorate your meal as in a garnish or in a bruschetta. In the age of growing older, over half of the population develops diverticulitis. This is a medical condition that causes openings or pouches in the lower intestines (mostly). This preparation method is recommended for foods that contain seeds of any kind. Diverticulitis is the infection that occurs when seeds or anything not processed get lodged within these pouches. The best method to reduce chances would be a high fiber diet.

To eat is to live, to live is to love. Let’s all go and love what we eat…

Photo Credit: Nifty Wine Carrier by Megan Elizabeth Morris used under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

I am always looking for a new type of container for my tomato plants.

I have tried upside down planters, concrete planters, bushel baskets, and even bags of potting soil but I had never tried a wine bag.

This idea came to me one day when I was at my local salvage place.

They had one wine bag they had gotten in a load of dog food. At first, they had no idea what it was but when I explained why there were four pockets, it was like an eureka moment.

After purchasing the bag, I took it home and admired my new planter. I could not wait to fill it with tomato plants. So once my local frost-free date had passed, I took out my wine bag to plant it.

To begin this process, I opened up my bag and placed about two inches of soil in the bottom. What is great about the bag I picked up was the fact that the division of the bag did not go all the way to the bottom. Instead, it only went down half way, which allowed me to add the soil without having to fill each pocket.

Once that was done, I began to prepare my tomato plants. First, each one from its container and teased the roots with my fingers. Then, I removed the leaves going up the stem, making sure to leave three to four leaves on the top. After that is completed, I place each tomato in its space. In this example, I am using a four bottle bag and in doing so I will need four plants.

I then sprinkle Epson salt into each planting area or wine bottle space and then fill with soil. Once you have filled the bag, gently push down on the soil and add additional soil as needed. After that is done, place the bag in a flower flat and water in. Again, add additional soil after watering.

Now, place your new tomato garden in a sunny location but do not hang up. The bag material is not strong enough to hold the weight of the soil.

When using this technique, I do have a hint when it comes to picking plants for this planter. While you will get a longer harvesting season from indeterminate tomato plants, they will not work in this container. These plants require trellising and the bag itself is not strong enough to hold any type of plant support system.

So until we blog again, even the simplest thing can be turned into a functional planter.

Photo Credit: Grape Tomatoes by Adam used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

By Steve Shetter

With our children growing up in the scouting family, we have spent many a nights in the woods.

Hence, our favorite little place to go is the Cub Scout camp in our little town.

After our son had put in his 16 years of scouting as a youth, the time had come to give him the Eagle Ceremony that he had earned.

In short, our sons’ first year as a scout, the ranger had been killed while on camp. The council had not had a chance to put a new ranger in since the tragedy so no one was allowed to camp.

We (the ranger and I and a few others) know that (call him Andy), Andy still patrols and keeps an eye on things. My wife and I had planned on our sons’ ceremony at the camp while we relied on our son to come up with what he wanted to dine on.

As expected, he left it up to me to do the planning and when it came time to prepare the dishes, he wanted his grandpa there to help and be a part. At this thought it occurred to me that this would put 3 generations of Shetter’s in the kitchen. We prepared Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, Stuffed Grape Tomatoes, and Seasoned Brussels Sprouts. We planned on serving some 300 dishes and glad we did. Not what we expected showed up but the food disappeared.

While we were proceeding through the ceremony, astonishingly the front door on the dining hall opened up and closed. While this may not seem strange to some, these doors are the type that have the return cylinders that takes a good shove to open. There also was no wind blowing that night either. About 20 minutes later the same thing happened and the door actually stood open for about 15-20 seconds.

I looked back and thanked Andy for letting us use the dining hall and that we would be sure to clean up, the door closed. After the evening concluded and everyone had left, I was on cleanup duty. Just as I was finishing up I heard a tapping sound. I went out to investigate thinking someone had forgotten something. No one. Returning to duty, tapping. Again, investigating, nothing. This went on for about 45 minutes.

Knowing the ranger, we like to prank one another on occasions, I checked out the outside of the building as well. Nothing. As I was finishing, the tapping was right behind me where we were serving. Upon looking around I observed a mess that I had not cleaned. I asked Andy “Is this what you are trying to tell me?” I returned to the kitchen and got the dish cloth and cleaned the mess. Interestingly enough, the tapping ceased.

I was taking the trash to the dumpster when I saw a box in the driveway just off the dumpster pad and tossed it away. At this point, a voice in the woods said “thank you”. I returned with a “welcome Andy and thanks for the use of the building”. I informed the ranger of the occurrences the next day and he laughed. He said that Andy hangs at the dining hall after dark keeping an eye on the place.

Stuffed Grape Tomatoes

• 4lbs Grape Tomatoes or Cherry Tomatoes
• 1lb Cream Cheese (Softened)
• 8oz. Sour Cream
• 2 Ranch Dressing Pkgs
• 2 bunches Scallions (small cut)

Take the tomatoes and halve them. I prefer lengthwise. Using a melon baller or strawberry huller, core the seeds from the tomatoes.

In another bowl, mix the other ingredients. Make sure that the ending mix is kind of thick so it does not drip off the tomatoes. Cut the scallions.  When the mix is finished, either use a piping bag or a spoon to put the mix into the tomato halves. Sprinkle the scallions over the treats and enjoy.

Photo Credit: Siesta by Jay Turner used under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

A few years, I first became acquainted with hollowed out tomatoes in my garden space.

For the life of me, I could not figure out what was going on.

First I thought it was my little friend the tomato hornworm since I have seen them munch on the fruit before but I saw no proof of vegetative damage.

But one day, the culprit appeared and it was the tomato fruitworm.

The tomato fruitworm is a little stinker that is a brown, red, green, yellow or cream colored, hairy caterpillar that has pale stripes and/or black spots. It will eat leaves first and then will feast on the fruit. But since they are so polite and do not want to eat everything, they only eat the inside of the tomato leaving only the shell.

But where do these caterpillars come from and how does one control them organically. The two-pronged answer is as follows. First, the fruitworm caterpillar comes from a tan to brown moth that has a dark spot on the center of each wing.

They appear in the spring and lay their eggs on the leaves of tomato plants. The eggs appear at first a creamy white and then turn brown or red prior to them hatching. Once they hatch, your tomato plant is a smorgasbord for this creature but what can you do about it?

The best approach is to plant crops that attract beneficial insects. In this case, we are looking for the parasitic wasp or Trichogramma wasp. This beautiful insect lays its eggs inside the fruitworm’s eggs and in doing so prevents the eggs from germinating. These insects love dill, parsley and/or asters so planting these around your tomatoes will be like laying down the welcome mat.

Another approach is to release green lacewings. While these insect are commonly known as “aphid lions,” they do attack caterpillar eggs. To utilize these insects, simply release them as soon as you get them. If you see little change in the number of eggs on your tomato leaves after five to seven days, you may consider releasing another group of lacewings.

Throughout this process, do not forget to remove hollowed out fruit and do not compost. While the compost pile does get extremely hot during the summer, you are still running a chance of spreading the pest in your compost.

So until we blog again, when it comes too hollowed out fruit you cannot turn it into lemonade instead invite some helpful friends to your garden party for a feast.

Photo Credit: Tomato Plant – Extra Green by Steven Reynolds used under CC BY 2.0

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Tomatoes are one of the favorite vegetables not only eaten but also grown.

But a successful tomato garden does happen overnight and requires some work.

Below are a list of dos and dont’s for any tomato garden.

Following this advice will help you have a more successful and enjoyable gardening experience and tomato harvest.

Dos

• Plant the right type of tomato. Many gardeners do not understand tomato terminology and the different between tomato types. Tomatoes can either be determinate or indeterminate. A determinate tomato is one that grows to a certain height, flowers and produce fruit at one time. This type of tomato is great for container gardens since it will not need to be trellised and for those who want to control when their harvest comes in. An indeterminate tomato, on the other hand, is one that grows to an undetermined height and in doing so will need to be trellised. It also flowers all season long and produces fruit for the entire season. Planting a combination of both determinate and indeterminate is a great way of extending ones harvest.

• Add calcium to the soil. Doing this simple step will prevent bottom rot, which can increase ones yield. Sources of calcium that one can use include a calcium-rich commercial fertilizer, crushed eggshells and/or powdered milk.

• Plant deep. Planting ones tomato plants deep allows the plant to develop a stronger root system, reduces the height of indeterminate tomatoes, and reduces the chance of the plant suffering from dehydration.

Dont’s

• Watch were you plant. Many years ago, I had a neighbor who planted a garden underneath her trees. As you can imagine, she was disappointed in the results from her garden. Not only was the shade a problem for her tomato plants, the type of tree she planted under was also a problem. As it would have it, the tree was a black walnut, which effects the growth and production of tomatoes. When picking a location, not only consider the amount of sun, soil type, and garden space but also look at what is around the garden. These too can affect the success of the tomato garden.

• Plant only after your local frost-free date. While I love to be the first on my block with homegrown tomatoes, I know planting one garden before my local frost-free date is a chance. In the past, I have used cloches to protect my plants but since I plant so many tomatoes using this type of protection has become impractical. If you grow your tomatoes in a container that is mobile, placing them outside early is not that big of a problem. Simply bring them in when it gets too cold.

• Watch what you purchase. Many gardeners will try to get a jump on the season by purchasing plants that are in bloom. Avoid using this strategy since most blooms will drop after planting. Instead, purchase plants that have no blooms or blooms that are just beginning to form.

Following these simple dos and dont’s will reduce your gardening stress and help you have a successful gardening season. So until we blog again, if you do more dos and less dont’s you will be able to sit and admire your garden space while enjoy a freshly squeezed glass of homegrown tomato juice.

Photo Credit: Tomato Pot by Michelle Dyer used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

I have lived by a motto that every Boy Scout knows and that is to “always be prepared.”

When it comes to the tomato garden, this means always having stakes, pots, Epsom salt and powdered milk available along with an all-purpose potting soil mix and fresh seeds.

While I typically save my seeds from year to year, sometimes I have to buy new stock.

Once I have all my supplies together, I can take an inventory of what I have and what I need. This gives me direction and helps me start off the season right.
In the past when I was low on flats or small containers to start my tomato seeds in, I created “newspaper” pots. These pots are easy to make and I have to admit a great way of keeping kids busy during the gloomy days of winter.

One year, my family and I had a container making party. While this may sound boring or odd, it is one of those activities that my kids have never forgotten. We showcased the day of container making with a dinner that was cooked in terra cotta pots. Everything was container related and at the end, we marked our container day by decorating a terra cotta pot for that year’s planting giveaway.

To this day, I know the neighbor that received the hand decorated pot full of planted vegetables. It brings a smile to my face when I see it sitting on her front stoop 12 years later.

But regardless of what type of container you plan to use to start your tomatoes in, make sure that it has been washed and dried. After that is done, it is time to fill it with a good all-purpose potting soil. Some tomato hobbyists feel the way to go is not through a store-bought planting medium but instead through a secret recipe for a tomato planting medium. While creating your own designer soil for your tomatoes is great, I have found that a simple, well-seasoned compost mixed with a good quality potting soil is sufficient.

After the soil and container has been gathered and prepared, the next step is planting the seeds. While all the supplies needed to start tomatoes are important, the quality of the seed is the most. If you have seed that is a couple of years old, do a viability test of the seed. This will prevent you from wasting your time planting seed that will not germinate.

Now you have all the tools and supplies needed to start off the tomato season right. So until we blog again, remember that planning is a just important as rain and fertilizer to the success of any gardening season.

Photo Credit: Day 158-Tomato Bloom by Mark Sinderson used under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Picture this situation.

The sun is out and the early summer breeze is blowing through your hair.

You are so proud of yourself.

This year you did not procrastinate when it came to buying your tomato plants.

But since you bought them early, you now have to care for them until your local frost-free date.

Well, the weather has warmed, the sun is out, there is no prediction of any cool weather and what would it hurt to get a jump on the gardening season.

So to the garden shed you go. You get out the wheelbarrow, shovel, garden rake, watering hose and any other garden tool you may need to plant your tomatoes.

You also get out your garden plan and measure off the placement of the plants. Once this done, you begin the process of planting your tomatoes but…………

While the process of planting your tomato plants goes without a hitch, a week later there is a problem. The nighttime temperatures drop into the 40s and you notice your plants are suffering but the hope is still there that the harm will be minimal.

The weather clears and nighttime temperatures hover around 55 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Life is good and you cannot wait for the first fresh tomato. But as you water your plants one day you notice the blooms are dropping on the ground. At first, you think you are watering too hard so you change the nozzle. Then, you may think that it is weather related. The wind has been blowing hard. Well, part of this evaluation is correct. The blossom drop is caused by the weather but it is not wind nor rain or power of spray, it is the temperature.

Tomatoes respond to extreme temperature variations by dropping their blooms. This is especially true when the temperatures are too cold or those below 55 degrees Fahrenheit. To avoid this, one should always plant according to your local frost-free date. For those unique times when the weather acts out of seasonal whack, a simple cloche made from a jar, cut off bottle or old aquarium can be used to protect the plants from an unusual frost. If you use this later approach, make sure to remove the cover every morning before the sun comes up.

Keep in mind, that bloom drop is a natural process that any plant goes through to get rid of non-pollinated blooms. This simple process makes room for new blooms. If your plant is showing a mass exodus of blooms, then it is temperature not pollination related.

So until we blog again, the season may warm and the season may cool but always plant by your gardening calendar because you never know what nature will do.

Photo Credit: Pinterest Cheese Christmas tree by Blake Facey used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

This year, I have decided to do my holiday decorating a little different.

In the past, I have filled my evergreen tree with treasure ornaments made by my children along with family collectables.

This includes homemade candy canes made from beads, little wooden backpacks, and my grandmother’s blown glass birds.

But this year, I am adding a unique decoration to my kitchen bar and that is a tomato tree.

This tree is not what one would expect. It is edible and ever changing. To start off, this tree’s form is one that can be found in many drugstores as the gumball tree. This tree is designed by pushing gumballs onto the ends of the plastic branches. This is the basic form of my tree but instead of gumballs I am going to use cherry tomatoes.

While I realize this seems a little unorthodox, I do feel it will be a conversation starter and a means of eating healthier. It is just as easy to “pick” a tomato as it is to reach for a cookie.

To begin my tomato experiment, I sat up my tree alongside my Thanksgiving decorations. This included my stuffed turkey and homemade bread cornucopia. The fruits I chose were not the ruby-red delights but instead the lovely orange and yellow colored cherry tomatoes. These colors added seasonal details to my kitchen bar without looking out of place. The “bar” I refer to is one that acts as my kitchen island.

As my guests arrived for the holiday meal, they all seemed to gather around the kitchen bar and swarmed around the “fresh” tomatoes. I asked out of curiosity why they gathered around the tomato platter. No one had the same answer but I guess the reason for this strange behavior was due to the universal attraction of taste that people have for tomatoes.

For the winter holiday, I plan to do the same thing but instead of using orange and/or yellow colored cherry tomatoes I am going to use ruby-red. While I typically do not use anything that is not in season, I am breaking this rule for the holidays.

Only time will tell how my holiday tomato tree will work out. I am hoping it will bring delight and discussions over last year’s garden season. I also hope that it allows us to realize how lucky we are to have a home, hearth, and friends to share this season.

So until we blog again, let me know how you would complete this saying. The craziest thing I have ever done with tomatoes is ______________________________.

Photo Credit: Red Zebra tomato in bloom by tacobel_canon used under CC BY 2.0

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

Just the other day, I was asked why I raise so many tomatoes.

This past year, I simply raised 70 plants and to me that just was not enough to satisfy my hunger for the tomato (Love Apple).

But as I thought beyond the culinary delights that I could make with tomatoes, I discovered other reason why everyone should grow tomatoes.

1. They are delicious and have a culinary flexibility unmatched. Tomatoes are delicious eaten directly off the vine, juiced, canned, dried, and frozen. They are low in calories and high in vitamin C. Tomatoes are also showcased in many ethnic dishes along with American staples such as BLTs.

2. Tomatoes provide different forms of carateniods depending on color. This is another reason why individuals should grow tomatoes and not just ruby-red ones. While the red ones do contain the trans-lycopene form of carateniod, which is believed to reduce ones chances of developing prostate cancer. Other colors also provide health benefits. This includes the orange and/or orange yellow colored tomatoes. These particular colors contain the tetra-cis-lycopene form of carateniods. In a small study, it was found that this later form of lycopene provide additional health benefits.

3. Tomatoes help bone health. Not only do tomatoes provide cancer protection through their colors, they also aid in bone health. It is believed that the high antioxidant content of the tomato reduces bone loss and aids in the prevention of osteoporosis.

4. Tomatoes protect the heart. Tomatoes also contain other phytontrients, which include esculoisides, chalconaringenin, and 9-oxo-octadecadienoic. All of these nutrients work together to affect LDL, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.

Overall the true reason to grow tomatoes is an individual choice. In my garden, I choose to grow tomatoes for their taste, ease of preserving, varieties to choose from, and nostalgia. Every garden season consists of new and present memories that are intertwined with the past.

This past consists of my dad and me planting rows of tomatoes, which would turn into not only a chore but a special time between us. I can still taste the sweetness of the first fruit of the season that my father and I shared. As I can testify, nothing is as sweet except the tomatoes I now share with my children.

So until we blog again, tomato gardeners unite in the dream that every garden will contain at least one tomato for the hearth, health, and well-being of the world. To aid in this calling, let me know why you grow tomatoes and the stories behind these reasons.

Photo Credit: Tomatoes by Ruthie Hanson used under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

By Mindy McIntosh-Shetter

To aid one in making and/or using their sun-dried tomatoes, I have come up with a simple recipe.

While this bread does take some time, it is well worth it.

Add your own twist to this basic recipe by adding different greens and cheeses along with herbs.

Greens, Cheese, and Sun-dried Tomato Rolls

Ingredients

1 cup of steamed greens (spinach, fennel, mustard)
1 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3 egg whites
3 cups lukewarm water
1 ½ tablespoons dry yeast
1 tablespoon salt
2/3 cup cheese such as feta or parmesan
1 ½ tablespoon sugar
6 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Cornmeal

Directions
1. Steam the greens and cool. Remove as much of the moisture as possible by squeezing them. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl combine greens, yeast, salt, cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes.

3. Mix together the 3 egg whites and the 3 cups of water in a separate bowl.

4. Add this mixture to the bowl from step 2.

5. Mix flour into the above mixture until completely mixed.

6. Once it is mixed, sprinkle the counter surface with flour. Next remove a baseball size piece of dough from the bowl and place in the flour. The dough will be wet so you may need to add more flour. Form into a ball shape.

7. Cover a flat baking sheet with parchment paper that is sprinkled with cornmeal. Place each ball on this sheet and let rest for 1 hour.

8. After the hour has passed, preheat oven at 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

9. Fill an oven proof bowl of water and place on the bottom rack of the oven.

10. Sprinkle each dough ball with a little flour and cut an “x” in the top of each ball.

11. Place in the oven with the water bowl and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.

12. Cool on a rack before eating.

Serve this bread with flavored oil, sweet butter and/or pesto.

So until we blog again, may the sun set on your tomato garden with grace, love, and bounty.