We know they will soon be as precious as gold! That's if we can find any once the first frost visits the garden.
Tomatoes in southwestern France seem to hang about longer, an extended season to enjoy a fresh picked one. These beauties growing in huge clusters were still ripening in my brother's garden last October.
Pommes d'amour, love apples................aaah, the romantic French named them such believing them to have aphrodisical properties.
The English word tomato comes from the Spanish tomatl. A member of the deadly nightshade family, tomatoes were erroneously thought to be poisonous by Europeans ~ their leaves are!
The tomato is native to western South America and Central America. In 1519, Cortez discovered them growing in Montezuma's gardens and brought seeds back to Europe where they were planted as ornamental curiosities, but not eaten.
Basket of just picked tomatoes, figs and peppers ~ I peeked in and asked 'monsieur' if I could snap a pic as we passed by in the village street.
Tuh-MAY-toh or Tuh-MAH-to? Pronunciation doesn't matter when it comes to this fabulous fruit known as a vegetable..................
................and I'm off to my kitchen right now to chop, mince and prepare a bowl of Gazpacho to use up some of my tasty, locally grown toMAHtos!!!!
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Mary this is a delightful post, with the history of this delicious fruit! Wonderful photos!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for coming by the Boef Bourg post. I don't think I'll be making it again. I was worn out after that meal!!!:-) Monday, I prepared a meatless meal, we enjoyed for 2 days. Potato and Leek soup and an apple crisp for dessert. That's more like the meal we are accustomed to. Delicious, not so heavy and easier to prepare.
It doesn't get much better than fresh tomatoes. I haven't had many this summer, and I've missed them.
ReplyDeleteLovely post, Mary.
Enjoy your toMAYtos ad your gazpacho. Yummy!
ReplyDelete"ToMAHtos" sounds much classier!
ReplyDeleteI wonder who the first daring European was to actually bite into one of those wonderful red tomatoes...perhaps an exceedingly hungry one who then kept the delicious secret all to himself for a while!
Great post! I suddenly find myself craving a tomato sandwich. Yum!
ReplyDeleteLove tomatoes! I brought home a big BOX of them from Long Island this weekend -- and have some drying now in the oven for use this fall and winter. Fresh tomato sauce for dinner tonight, too. Lovely love apples! I wonder who had nerve enough to eat the first one? Some hungry fellow that's for sure!
ReplyDeleteCass
I am already mourning the passing of tomatoe season. There is nothing like a wonderful fresh picked one warmed by the sun.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words on Delights of the Heart about speaking to strangers. I definitely intend on talking to strangers on this trip coming up. That is what makes traveling so special is the people connections.
Loved your story about the couple from Japan celebrating their 25th anniversary.