|
|
Post by elaine on May 27, 2015 4:08:40 GMT
My name is Elaine and I am addict.
We spent part of the weekend in our house in rural WV, on the way back we stopped at a roadside produce stand that was selling fresh tomatoes - mine won't have fruit ready to eat for at least another 8 weeks - so we picked up 4 beauties! I also ended up roasting a turkey on out outside oil less propane turkey fryer for Memorial Day - yum!
Tonight dinner was BLATT sandwiches for dinner and they were sooooo good. Bacon Lettuce Avocado Tomato and Turkey Sandwiches. I love it when he have the crunch of the bacon melding with the taste of real tomatoes and their juice dripping down your chin! Avocado is a great substitute for mayo. And carved roasted turkey slices, well it was divine.
Family was happy, I am happy. BLT season has officially begun. They are 90% of why I grow tomatoes - I have a couple of cherry plants for snacking and salad add-ons, but my end goal is to consume at least 2 BLTs per week in the summer.
I challenge anyone to name me a sandwich that tastes so amazing even though it uses so few very plain ingredients. The lettuce and the tomato counterbalance the bacon and the mayonnaise and/or avocado ties it all together. Bread must be toasted.
Anyone else have their tomato plants in the ground yet? How are they doing? We grow in topsy turvy upside down planters. Last week, I just put in a variety of peppers and tomatoes I started from seed, they were very happy to leave their seedling pods and dive into much more dirt. The are already 3 times bigger in a week.
what varieties are you growing? Any you would recommend? I'm always on the lookout for plants that work well in containers. I have found that my oregano is actually an annual and comes back each year.
|
|
PLurker
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,745
Location: Behind the Cheddar Curtain
Jun 28, 2014 3:48:49 GMT
|
Post by PLurker on May 27, 2015 4:09:54 GMT
Mmmm good. Summer tomatoes! Off season ones aren't even real tomatoes, are they? Jealous!
|
|
|
|
Post by elaine on May 27, 2015 4:18:00 GMT
Mmmm good. Summer tomatoes! Off season ones aren't even real tomatoes, are they? Jealous! No, they aren't. These young people appeared to have their own farm and probably had a green house to encourage fruit growth earlier. Since Memorial Day marks the start of summer in my world, I'm allowing these to count, especially the tasted amazingly tomato-y! |
|
|
|
Post by crazy4scraps on May 27, 2015 4:28:47 GMT
Ours are in the ground but other than the one Sweet 100 cherry tomato plant that I insisted upon, I have no idea what varieties DH went with. I grew up with home grown tomatoes all my life and nothing is so wonderful as a fresh tomato off the vine still warm from the sun.  We have about 8-9 plants total, along with peppers, lettuce and rhubarb with peas, beans, squash and pumpkins still to go in. im not much of a gardener, but DH gets into it. I just eat the stuff, LOL! |
|
|
|
Post by jumperhop on May 27, 2015 4:29:17 GMT
My Mom and Jamie planted 50 tomatoes plants from seed. They rent land in the country for a huge garden. Yesterday we had a huge downpour with hail and we haven't had a chance to check on the garden. BLT's are a staple during the summer. Along with sliced tomatoes mixed with sliced tomatoes and some tomatoes on the side. The tomatoes go mainly to can tomato soup. I think it's Anna's recipe. The rest is used for spaghetti sauce, tomato juice and salsa. We don't can to many whole tomatoes.
We had BLT's two weeks ago it was my first post op meal I made. Not the same with store bought tomatoes.
jen
|
|
|
|
Post by jumperhop on May 27, 2015 4:31:38 GMT
Oh and we still plant tomatoes in the back yard for easy access.
Jen
|
|
|
|
Post by chaosisapony on May 27, 2015 4:33:00 GMT
Tomatoes are my favorite thing about summer. There's nothing quite like walking out to the garden and picking one off the vine and eating it like an apple on the way back into the house. Delicious.
I bought a Topsy Turvy planter this year after meeting someone that said they had good luck with it. I don't hold out much hope though, my patio only gets about an hour of morning sun each day and then it's all shade. We'll see, but I really have my doubts I'll get any tomatoes. I do have two flowers on the plant though!
|
|
|
|
Post by scrapmaven on May 27, 2015 4:36:41 GMT
The best tomatoes are our sungolds picked fresh from the vine, washed and eaten. When I used to eat I noshed 'em like candy. Yum.
|
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
May 20, 2024 16:58:08 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on May 27, 2015 4:44:08 GMT
I don't grow tomatoes but sure love a good BLT sandwich. In fact, it was my pregnancy craving for my 2nd pregnancy. Each and every day for months, I had at least one BLT.
|
|
|
|
Post by Scrapper100 on May 27, 2015 5:09:20 GMT
Envious. I had a tomato that I was waiting for I was just going to give it another day and well our squirrel found it and beat me to it. I think it may be eating some other veggies in the backyard to. I am not happy with it at all. I need to figure out how to keep it from my veggies.
There really isn't much better than a nice fresh home grown summer tomato. We love BLT sandwiches and yours sound especially good with the addition of turkey and avocado - I just discovered how good they are on sandwiches and can't believe it took me this long to discover them.
|
|
tuesdaysgone
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,832 
|
Post by tuesdaysgone on May 27, 2015 11:04:36 GMT
BLTs (especially as you just described) are the best! The funny thing is I really don't eat white bread and I stick to a mostly vegetarian diet for most the year, but during the summer there is nothing better than toasted white bread for your just-picked-from-the-garden tomato, bacon and lettuce sandwich.
During the heart of summer, I'll have one every day for lunch.
|
|
|
|
Post by stingfan on May 27, 2015 11:36:08 GMT
I planted six tomato plants the week after Mother's Day. We have deer in the area, so I planted in containers on the deck. Hopefully they won't climb the stairs up there to get them! I have 2 cherry tomato plants and 4 others - don't remember exactly the names. I also planted snap peas. We'll see how it all goes. It's my first foray into gardening.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bitchy Rich on May 27, 2015 12:20:57 GMT
My Mom and Jamie planted 50 tomatoes plants from seed. Holy shit. I planted four. |
|
janeliz
Drama Llama
I'm the Wiz and nobody beats me.
Posts: 5,633
|
Post by janeliz on May 27, 2015 12:34:55 GMT
I'm growing Stripey, Amelia, and Juliet. I do all of mine in containers. The Amelias are my favorite. They do really well in our hot climate (SC) and are growing like gangbusters. They're not ripe yet, but almost!
|
|
|
|
Post by elaine on May 27, 2015 12:37:51 GMT
Ours are in the ground but other than the one Sweet 100 cherry tomato plant that I insisted upon, I have no idea what varieties DH went with. I grew up with home grown tomatoes all my life and nothing is so wonderful as a fresh tomato off the vine still warm from the sun. We have about 8-9 plants total, along with peppers, lettuce and rhubarb with peas, beans, squash and pumpkins still to go in. im not much of a gardener, but DH gets into it. I just eat the stuff, LOL! I have a Sweet 100 cherry plant too, and a yellow cherry variety - don't remember it's name. I wish I had room for squash, but that's a bit harder in containers. Your variety sounds awesome! My Mom and Jamie planted 50 tomatoes plants from seed. They rent land in the country for a huge garden. Yesterday we had a huge downpour with hail and we haven't had a chance to check on the garden. BLT's are a staple during the summer. Along with sliced tomatoes mixed with sliced tomatoes and some tomatoes on the side. The tomatoes go mainly to can tomato soup. I think it's Anna's recipe. The rest is used for spaghetti sauce, tomato juice and salsa. We don't can to many whole tomatoes. We had BLT's two weeks ago it was my first post op meal I made. Not the same with store bought tomatoes. jen 50 plants! Wow - green with envy here! You will have plenty for everything including fried green tomatoes - another favorite of mine. Tomatoes are my favorite thing about summer. There's nothing quite like walking out to the garden and picking one off the vine and eating it like an apple on the way back into the house. Delicious. I bought a Topsy Turvy planter this year after meeting someone that said they had good luck with it. I don't hold out much hope though, my patio only gets about an hour of morning sun each day and then it's all shade. We'll see, but I really have my doubts I'll get any tomatoes. I do have two flowers on the plant though! I have used topsy turvy' sin the part with good luck, myself. You don't get as many fruits as you do in a pot, but it takes less deck space and you don't have to worry about cages and staking and all that. I don't grow tomatoes but sure love a good BLT sandwich. In fact, it was my pregnancy craving for my 2nd pregnancy. Each and every day for months, I had at least one BLT.
A perfect pregnancy food! Nothing to upset your tummy, just yummy goodness.  Envious. I had a tomato that I was waiting for I was just going to give it another day and well our squirrel found it and beat me to it. I think it may be eating some other veggies in the backyard to. I am not happy with it at all. I need to figure out how to keep it from my veggies. There really isn't much better than a nice fresh home grown summer tomato. We love BLT sandwiches and yours sound especially good with the addition of turkey and avocado - I just discovered how good they are on sandwiches and can't believe it took me this long to discover them. Darn squirrels! There is one who likes to sample my peppers - he picks them, sits on the railing and takes a bite. Sweet peppers he will continue with, habaneros and jalapeños, he spits out and leaves them sitting there with one bite missing. BLTs (especially as you just described) are the best! The funny thing is I really don't eat white bread and I stick to a mostly vegetarian diet for most the year, but during the summer there is nothing better than toasted white bread for your just-picked-from-the-garden tomato, bacon and lettuce sandwich. During the heart of summer, I'll have one every day for lunch. Oh yes! White bread and it MUST be toasted. Dh is weird - he doesn't toast his bread for a BLT. I don't know what he is thinking. I planted six tomato plants the week after Mother's Day. We have deer in the area, so I planted in containers on the deck. Hopefully they won't climb the stairs up there to get them! I have 2 cherry tomato plants and 4 others - don't remember exactly the names. I also planted snap peas. We'll see how it all goes. It's my first foray into gardening. Welcome to the dark side! Growing your own summer veggies is an addiction - you will never go back. I hope the deer leave yours alone! |
|
|
|
Post by elaine on May 27, 2015 12:48:12 GMT
My Mom and Jamie planted 50 tomatoes plants from seed. Holy shit. I planted four. I only planted six tomatoes - 2 cherry varieties and 4 regulars (celebrity, best boy, early girl and sunkist (an orange variety)) and six peppers - 2 jalapeños, 1 each of poblano, Serrano, habanero, and Anaheim. Also a big pot with oregano, basil and Rosemary. This year I'm setting up a drip watering system and using a timer to run it automatically. It is supposed to arrive today, so I'll set it up this weekend. Fingers crossed that it will work. Container veggie gardening takes a lot of watering. I'm growing Stripey, Amelia, and Juliet. I do all of mine in containers. The Amelias are my favorite. They do really well in our hot climate (SC) and are growing like gangbusters. They're not ripe yet, but almost! Wow! Almost ripe! Only once in my 11 years here in VA have I had a ripe tomato on one of my plants by the 4th of July and it was memorable. Usually it takes until mid-July here for them to ripen. |
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
May 20, 2024 16:58:08 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on May 27, 2015 12:55:13 GMT
We have 4 raised beds in our backyard plus two containers out front, two upside down and a row of hops. One bed is asparagus. One has cucumbers (regular and lemon) and green beans. One has zucchini and summer squash. The 4th one has two pepper plants and one tomato plant (super steakhouse). We also planted some small carrots on a whim. The two upside down ones have a cherry tomato and a pepper plant. The two containers out front have corn. We planted hops out front last year and had great vines growing on our railings. This year, we have them strung up like they should be and already have this wall of vines that is actually giving us extra shade and privacy. New this year is a peach tree.
Last year we got some small peppers, a few cherry tomatoes, a handful of green beans and more squash than we knew what to do with. The corn is a hybrid that was created for containers so we'll see how that goes. Worst case, we'll end up with some fall decorations without having to buy them.
|
|
mallie
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,253
|
Post by mallie on May 27, 2015 13:04:00 GMT
Ha. It just got warm enough to plant tomatoes in the ground. We won't get tomatoes to eat until late July.
|
|
|
|
Post by elaine on May 27, 2015 13:04:46 GMT
We have 4 raised beds in our backyard plus two containers out front, two upside down and a row of hops. One bed is asparagus. One has cucumbers (regular and lemon) and green beans. One has zucchini and summer squash. The 4th one has two pepper plants and one tomato plant (super steakhouse). We also planted some small carrots on a whim. The two upside down ones have a cherry tomato and a pepper plant. The two containers out front have corn. We planted hops out front last year and had great vines growing on our railings. This year, we have them strung up like they should be and already have this wall of vines that is actually giving us extra shade and privacy. New this year is a peach tree. Last year we got some small peppers, a few cherry tomatoes, a handful of green beans and more squash than we knew what to do with. The corn is a hybrid that was created for containers so we'll see how that goes. Worst case, we'll end up with some fall decorations without having to buy them. I can't wait to hear how they all produce! The container corn especially interests me - I'd love to grow fresh corn. |
|
|
|
Post by crazy4scraps on May 27, 2015 13:15:41 GMT
My Mom and Jamie planted 50 tomatoes plants from seed. That's a LOT of tomatoes! LOL, our neighbor lady planted about 24 last year (retired, and it's just the two of them now) thinking about half or more of he plants would die. Well they didn't, and OMG they were totally overrun with tomatoes that all got ripe at the same time--right around when they were gone on vacation for a week! They were giving them to anyone who would take them, but we already had more than enough of our own.  I'm pretty sure they won't be planting nearly as many this year! |
|
We have about 8-9 plants total, along with peppers, lettuce and rhubarb with peas, beans, squash and pumpkins still to go in. im not much of a gardener, but DH gets into it. I just eat the stuff, LOL!
I'm pretty sure they won't be planting nearly as many this year!