Homegrown Tomatoes

My tomatoes are turning red!

In some parts of the world, ripening tomatoes are greeted with a yawn, and a gardener's thoughts immediately turn to imagining how to get rid of the overabundance of juicy tomatoes that will soon be falling off the vines.

Not so for us Pacific Northwest gardeners. Getting enough direct sun to bring these heat-loving vines to bear fruit is a big challenge in our climate. We use early-blooming varieties and all sorts of clever heat-conserving tricks and tips in order to coax our tomato plants to bear fruit. And when they finally do, it's a cause for celebration.

And I know exactly what I will do with every single one of my juicy and scrumptious red tomatoes. I will eat them fresh from the garden, while they are still warm from the sun. Probably just like this. 

I can't wait to enjoy one of the sweetest tastes of summer - homegrown tomatoes.