It’s tomato season in Ontario and what a glorious time of year it is! I love tomatoes but the ones available all year round are tasteless. I refuse to purchase tomatoes out of season so when this time of year comes around, I get my fill of local tomato-ey goodness.
The farmer’s markets and even ordinary chain supermarkets are abundant with gorgeous, fragrant tomatoes in all sorts of colours-bright red, variegated orange, green, and dark reddish-black striped tomatoes. Some are smooth and polished, others are ridged and oddly shaped. These colourful globes are one of the more difficult plants to grow. Since I was a kid and to this day, my dad has been growing heirloom tomatoes from seeds he has been saving over the years. These seeds were originally brought from Portugal where the weather is much sunnier and hot over the summer. To grow juicy, sweet tomatoes in Ontario, you need tender loving care. My dad starts his tomato plants in March, indoors in large flats. As the seedlings sprout and grow, he transplants them to individual pots. As the weather warms up, he places the pots in a greenhouse that he moves outside during the day and then moves back inside at night to shelter the sweet little babies from the cold. They don’t get transplanted in the ground until there is no threat of frost. As the summer goes on, they need to be tied to stalks and pruned. My dad never uses a pesticide. They bask in the sunlight and are almost falling off the plant once they are ready to be harvested. Once picked, they need to be eaten within a few days. They never disappoint.
I’m not telling you about how to grow tomatoes because I’m some kind of gardening expert. Oh no no no. My thumbs are the opposite of green. I’m lucky if I can keep a cactus alive (tips anyone?). I’m telling you this as a reminder that next time you cut into a perfect in season tomato, silently thank the farmer for their hard work, it took some serious care to get that tomato from seed to your plate.
My dad’s really good at plating his fine tomato harvest as well. Below is a tried and tested way to serve in season tomatoes. Make this now, it’s a useless technique for winter tomatoes, they just don’t got it going on.
| Garden Fresh Tomato Salad | Print |
- 4 tomatoes, have at least one per person
- ½ small, mild tasting white onion
- Flaky sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- Good quality olive oil
- Dried oregano
- Slice the tomatoes or cut them into wedges. Place in a large pretty bowl.
- Thinly slice the halved onion and add to bowl with tomatoes.
- Season liberally with salt, pepper and oregano.
- Gently toss with tomatoes in a bowl, use a fork or spoon and gently scoop the tomatoes and onions from underneath so as not to disturb them too much. A juice will begin to settle around the tomatoes.
- Serve at room temperature as an afternoon snack or as the perfect side to any meat dish.
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