Mill Creek Red Onions, Garlic of Kazakhstan, Zukes and cukes, NZ Spinach, Butternut Squash, Bell Peppers, Chili's, Eggplant, Potatoes, Tomatillos and green beans.
And this week everyone got relish and dried tomatoes as your special gift.
Tomatoes
The toms are really coming on and you should be getting many more in the weeks to come. I took some photos of them so you could try to pick out which was that tomato that you just loved. This week, I picked Crazy Horse, distinctive in it's green shoulders, Picardy is a nice size reddish orange tomato and Dr. Carolyn's pink - the pink tomato in your box.
I also picked some Lieven's Teardrop. My friend Lieven of Belgium. Yes, he's the breeder that also bred our leeks. I named this tomato, as Lieven sent me a package of his recent crosses and this was part of the cross, but there were really 3 kinds of tomatoes. I have been selecting this one for 2 years now, and it is really one of my favorites. I named it because of it's shape. At the time I did not know that Lieven was having a year of great sorrow. I hope this tomato helps to lighten his burden. Crazy Horse is from PKS Heirlooms http://michiganfamilyfarms.com/farm-listings-details/p-k-s-heirloom-tomatoes and my correspondent, Dean Slater. All of the rest of the tomatoes this year, are from our Alabama Friend, Dar Jones. And a very fine fellow he is as well. He and son grow hundreds of tomato transplants a year and he saves enough time to chat with me about better plants, better varieties, peanuts and sweet potatoes.
Sioux Cosmo is a recent cross by our farmer friend in New York, Tim. A lovely little saladette, slightly pink and yummy.
Of the tomatoes I planted this year, there were only 3 that won't make it to your table. Campbell's 54 which I was really hoping for (a canning tomato) was eaten by Madame Gopher and her brood. Confusticate the rodents. There was a yummy tasting yellow tomato called KBX a giant beefsteak thing which failed to meet my appearance minimums. (okay some ugliness is allowed, but really...this is too much).
The storage tomato that I am most impressed with, straight from Mt. Vesuvius, via Dar of course is Piennolo de Vesuvio. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJDpMrklLGU
If I had to go live on an island, this is the tomato I would take with me. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnSN3gw22fg
Even without volcanic soil, this is one bella tomato! And yes we take our tomatoes very seriously here at Foothill Farm. And no, you probably won't see any of these this year. I need to do a seed increase so that I can plant many more of them next year. And those numbers on the cards? That's sweetness measured in brix. Peinnolo is more sugar than tomato! Enjoy your week.
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