Yeah, it's ripe! It's called the Aunt Ruby's German Green Tomato, and I've been nervously puttering around the plant for the past few days, because, well, how ya gonna know when it's ripe?Fortunately I've developed the Gentle Squeeze Trick. If you feel a slight give under the fingers, odds are the tomato is ready to eat, no matter what color it is. Also, the unripe green ones are milky, ghostly... The ripe ones are lustrous and perhaps a bit goldy.
So today we had a tomato tasting for lunch. The green, a Brandywine, and a French variety called Dona.
I'm pretty good at tasting, but maybe not so good at describing.
Here's how it went:
"Ooh! Tomatoey!"
"No, this one's even more tomatoey."
"Wait — Tomatoey!"
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20 comments:
I grew Aunt Ruby's for the first time this year, too. They make a great salsa with the Green Zebras. But now I have ripe green tomatoes coming out of my ears so I am making green tomato juice and sauce. Yum.
But how are the Doras? They're on my list of maybe-buys.
Given that I adore the red of red tomatoes, I can't get excited about green ones. Should I? (I'd be buying at the farmer's market; I don't have enough sun to grow any.)
What with spring starting today I'm off to buy my bebe 'marto plants tomorrow. I too will soon be able to go "mmmmm tomatoey". Yay.
El: That's my plan, to make green salsa. Maybe with pork. But, green tomato juice? Ohgod, what fun. Must try.
Donas -- they're a pert, cute red (not deep, not pink), and they taste... tomatoey. Frankly, nothing special and nothing I'd repeat next year. Almost like the typical red tomato you'd buy at the supermarket (but riper and better, but... nah). My tomato saleswoman told me Dona and Aunt Ruby's were among her five favorite tomatoes. I guess I have different tastes.
Janet: Red is the way to go. I cautioned my saleswoman I thought the greens were wimpy, but she convinced me to try. Nah. If you were closer, I'd gift you a bagful. (Are you in Kansas? Cool blog.)
Mouse: OMG!!! I am constantly in a state of confusion, remembering our hemispherical differences. And here I am getting ready for sweet potatoes.
Good luck!
Sure looks pretty. Let me guess. It was tomatoey?
i love the yellow tomatoes. they're oh so very tomatoey... but really, i love them all. i'll never turn down a good tomato.
You're going to consider me a terrible mother because I can't remember the variety of the small red tomatoes (not plums) I have ripening, now. They are perfect for BLT breakfasts and I smushed some with olive oil and garlic and fresh oregano for capellini and they are (thanks, Goldilocks) "just right" for the singleton diner. I will stop by the hippie nursery in Fairfax and find out the name. Meanwhile, my Brandywines are slowwwwwwly ripening and the Sungolds continue to amaze. I envy you your greens, though. I really love their sort of pure transluscent selves.
While at my dad's, I read a number of his magazines. He has more subscriptions than anyone I know.
I see that the folks at Sunset have a blog about eating local. Have you seen it? Don't know why it made me think of you. ;-)
A tomato by any other name would taste as?
kudzu - i'll bet they're called 'juliete's' we're getting those here - bigger than a grape or cherry tomato but smaller than a plum tomato. they are very very good...
Fantastic! You 2 have done so well with your new home garden this year. TOMATOEY!
CC,
All those years as a journalist have really paid off.
MB and I have been loving the big red tomatoes with the sort of dark greenish top - don't know the name but, wow, talk about _sweet_! Great in a BLT or just bald on a plate!
Tammy: Bingo! You're... eerie!
Claudia: Yeah, look at me getting all snobby about some of them. I love any good tomato.
Kudzu: Depending on how small your red babies are -- Early Girl is a petite globe, and Juliette is a tiny (but bigger than cherry) egg-shaped tomato with good flavor (and a tough skin). I will save you some greens. Many grow the greens.
Dagny: You wry thing! Yeah, I linked over to it. They have a resident full-time gardener (sigh).
Sue: By any other name... oh, hell, now you got me thinking it would taste like a coffeepot.
Claudia: Yeah, those.
Lannae: Tomorrow is my four-month anniversary of moving here. It's been AMAZING. Thank you.
Kevin: You should hear me describe wines. "Red." "Kinda pink." "Winey."
Zoomie: I'm growing a tomato that matches your description, a Purple Cherokee. But... it could also be Black Krim or scads of others. :D
Never seen one before but it looks delicious. I know it's a stupid question but does it taste like those red ones?
Descriptive, very descriptive, yep, that's it...descriptive.
I had some purply-green ones last year that were great...made kind of a disgusting looking sauce tho...
Cooking Ninja: Not a stupid question. When I first tasted it I guess I was expecting something else, because I surprised myself by saying "Tomatoey!" So yes, it is a lot like reds, but maybe less... tomatoey.
Katie: I'm a hound for the deep, purpley ones. I'll take a strange-colored sauce, thank you!
Fanny Flagg snickers....
b a r t: Meow, purr, purr.
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