Nearly Ripe Oregon Springs Tomato
Late last week I flew to Virginia for a visit of several days with family. Normally, I wouldn’t choose to leave my Seattle veggie garden in August, especially to visit the east coast, which has miserable weather this time of year. But, Mom’s been sick with Lyme Disease, and my gardening business is traditionally a bit slower in late summer, so I decided to head east for a visit — despite the fact that I knew my garden produce would be at its peak right about now. That’s life, right? A series of trade-offs.
The evening before I left town, Bob and I took a walk through the garden so I could update him on caring for things. Everything potted in the garden needs to be watered daily, especially the viney, pot bound tomatoes in the greenhouse. And, all the plants need to be checked for harvest status every few days. Although we’ve been harvesting cherry tomatoes and paste tomatoes for a few weeks now, none of the bigger tomatoes had been ready ahead of my departure date. And, to make me even a bit more sad, my first big, fat slicer (an Oregon Springs) was just a day or so away from harvest.
Mom & sis ganging out at our cousin's country store; He grows the tomatoes on the land in back
As I pointed out the first ripening Oregon Springs fatty to Bob, I said, “Don’t you dare forget about this and let a rat or squirrel get to it first.” Pushing the ripening date on tomatoes in our garden is just asking to lose the fruit. Yesterday, Bob confirmed he’d enjoyed it on a BLT. And yes, I’m jealous. But what Bob (and my garden) don’t know is that I’ve been enjoying farm-fresh tomatoes everyday. Turns out my cousin sent home amazing tomatoes from his country garden to my Mom in the city. They were grown less than an acre away from where I grew up learning to farm as a child, and they’re as good as a tomato can get in summer.
Tomorrow I head into the country, and I’ll be visiting my cousin at his country store, and I’ll get to see his garden and meet his newborn baby. And maybe I’ll steal one of his tomatoes to eat fresh off the vine (or on white bread with mayo and pepper like I did as a kid.)
So despite missing out on one of what may be only a few red-ripe slicing tomatoes we’ll get in Seattle this summer (the weather’s just not cooperated), I’ll still get to savor summer tomatoes as well as enjoy time with all of my wonderful family here in good ole sweaty Virginia. (Did I mention there’s a cool breeze today, so maybe I should keep counting my blessings and stop moaning about what might have been!)
