Ode To The Ontario Field Tomato
By ML Thompson

Yes, folks. It’s here again. The time when the world stops spinning and a little piece of heaven is brought down to earth.

It hits you the moment you walk into the grocery store and see those glorious baskets overflowing with perfectly ripened field tomatoes and your heart soars. You pick out your basket with care. Mouth watering. Hands trembling. Heart pounding.

All thoughts of steak and lobster are pushed from your head as you mentally inventory what you will need.

Bread - check.
Butter - check.
Mayonnaise - check.
Salt and Pepper - check.

The grocery list is tossed in the garbage can as you carry your precious cargo to the checkout, keeping close watch for those who would try to distract you, giving them a chance to steal your most perfect collection of field tomatoes. You share a secret smile with the others in line, also holding tightly to their baskets and pity those poor fools who either didn’t realize that the field tomatoes are there or have never been introduced to their divine taste, who mistakenly think that a tomato is a tomato is a tomato.

You drive home slowly, taking great care not to hit any pot holes in an effort to ensure no damage comes to your heavenly purchase. You glance at other drivers, wondering if they, too, are on the way to get their tomatoes. Or are you the only one who knows that this day has finally arrived.

Arriving home, you check your watch. Is it too early or can you perhaps steal just one taste of heaven. Unable to resist, you rush for your toaster, hesitating only a moment as you debate the hardest question you will face all day: one piece of bread or two? It’s the first tomato sandwich of the season. Two pieces of bread. Putting the bread in the toaster and pushing down the button, you turn your attention to the fridge to grab what you will need.

Picking up a tomato, you carefully wash it off, taking a moment to raise it to your nose to inhale its delectable aroma. You close your eyes. The sound of the toast popping up is the only thing that can bring you out of your reverie.

After rushing over to the toaster, you still take an extra moment to carefully set that single tomato on the counter, not wanting to risk bruising it. You take the toast out and lay it on the counter. A light coating of butter and mayonnaise. Thickly sliced tomatoes. A sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Not wanting to waste time with a plate and table, you stand at the counter, raising the tomato sandwich to your lips and, closing your eyes to best savor the taste, your teeth sink into the sandwich.

You moan, allowing the taste to overwhelm every sense, knowing this little slice of heaven will only be here for another month and determined to enjoy every second.

(And for those of you wondering... I'm only a little bit insane )

/sniffles. That was beautiful, ML.

And thanks! Now I know what I'm going to make for dinner tonight.

Ann

You still need the lettuce and the bacon.

Tank (who is a big fan of the BLT but is too lazy to actually make them for himself)

Scrub the mayo and the salt and pepper and add a scrape of Vegemite ... mmmmm, perfect!

Corrina.

You wax so rhapsodic you almost make me want to buy a tomato...Almost.

To me, there are two kinds of tomatoes: The regular store-bought variety with the consistency of cardboard and the garden-fresh variety that are way too slimy.

So you may have my share of the tomatoes; but I nevertheless enjoyed reading your paean to the fruit-that-would-be-a-vegetable.

Joy,
Lynn

That was great! I prefer them with fresh basil, olive oil and fresh mozzerella (capri salad). Mmmm delectable. This year we had a garden in our backyard that probably produced over 200 tomatoes, no lie! It was awesome! Glad to see there's someone else who appreciates the good 'home grown' kind too!

Lynn said:

I thought tomatoes were berries?

I love tomatoes. My favorites are the sweet little cherry tomatoes, preferably organic ones, but in any case I eat tomatoes almost every day, except when I really can't find any that aren't too squishy. When it comes to tomatoes, I can eat the golf balls but not the slimeballs!

Ann

Originally posted by TOC: They are. But since berries are a type of fruit, we're both right.

Joy,
Lynn

Personally, I love the ones I grow. I've only been growing them for a few years, now, but they aren't that hard to grow and I can pick them before they get gross, when they're perfect. There's just no comparing them to the store bought ones, kwim? I have one tomato plant, an heirloom one, that somehow managed to survive through the winter, too, and is producing tomatoes again this year. It's not producing as many as it did last year, though I'm going to have to get some more seeds for that kind of heirloom tomato next year, they were so delicious!

A little OT, but have any of you ever tried a greengage plum? My Mom's got a greengage plum tree in her back yard and the thing's covered with them. They are so much tastier than any plum I've ever bought at a store. I actually made greengage plum jam over the weekend with a bunch of them. I did that a couple of years ago and it makes the yummiest jam ever!

Tara

Gosh! What does that say about where you get the 'field tomatoes' in your neck of the woods? No way they should be slimy - what's your local farmer doing selling old, old produce

c.

Actually, I am referring to fresh-from-the-vine, perfectly ripened tomatoes. Others might think them "juicy," but to me, they just seem slimy.


Joy,
Lynn

Now I'm hungry...thanks a lot! :p Good thing I was getting ready to make supper anyway...though no fresh tomatoes for me!

And I'd better stop before I start drooling on my keyboard! *runs away to find food*

I just picked some tomatoes, squash and a bell pepper from my garden today. We're having them with dinner. Yum!

Tara