BLTs are coming soon!

BLTs are an absolute summer staple for the Smiths. I cannot wait! 

I don't know what else to say....I saw tomatoes, I smiled, and I announced that BLTs were coming soon. 🍞🐷🍃🍅🍞

Oh ya!

There is no excuse for my ketchup missing the mark this year! I look forward to making more soon! 

An AZ Tomato

I love getting photos of what others are up to!  Here are a pair of photos of Aunt Laurie's tomato plant about a month or so apart. That plant is huge! I can't believe (well, I guess I can given your location) you have tomatoes growing in February! Way to go!!

What are YOU growing? Send me a pic! 

The last of the tomatoes. I promise this time.

Ha!  

This is all that is left of the five large tomato plants we grew in our front garden beds. I will miss seeing them grow wildly about. *sigh* 

Toms

Here are a few of the tomatoes that are left. We have had an excellent crop this year!  

Here's the last of them.

It's almost time!

We are another vegetable closer to salsa! 

Condiments

Today, I tried my hand at ketchup. I made three different batches.  The first had a tbsp and a half of cider vinegar and it was extremely vinegary for our tastes (the jar on the right). The other two batches I left it out and it was much better. I added a little more sugar and spices to give it less of a strong tomatoey flavor. Evan and Matilde both liked it. Andy? I'm not convinced he liked it.  Me? I don't even like ketchup! Hahaha 

It was a fun experiment and a yummy way to use up a large surplus of tomatoes. 

Seeing red.

I plucked just under one hundred tomatoes from their vines. They will be made into sauce, paste, dried tomatoes, and even ketchup!  We are very excited to make our own ketchup to be honest. There are still many tomatoes on the vine that I hope will ripen soon because I still need to can enchilada sauce and salsa!

More tomatoes!

We tried black cherry tomatoes this year, and they're looking good!  

Vine ripened beauty

I love the ripening color progression that is occurring right now. It's a wonderful sight.  

Homegrown Goodness

Nothing says summertime at a Smith home like a BLT! 

A light at the end of the tunnel.

We have been patiently waiting for a change, and today we saw this scarlet colored gem in our garden!  It is a very exciting time and a very positive sign of things to come. I am especially anxious to see the heirloom tomatoes and tomatillos change colors!  

La Roma

This is the first tomato we have seen, so I decided to photograph it. It wasn't until I looked at the picture that I noticed the two others growing right beside it!  Very promising!