tomatoes

[doak]

trans planted 14 today. Will do about 50 or 60 more tomorrow.
Then I'll be about half done. :)doak

[Natalie]

Thats alotta tomatoes
I have been doing alot of gardening around all different areas of the yard but decided today that its time to focus on one area at a time until I finish each.
We just finished putting the fence around the veggie garden so I can finally get down to some serious planting.
I couldn't plant too much because I can't trust those sneaky little hens and I have a bunch of seedlings to put out.
This will be the weekend.

[1reb]

What kind of tomatoes are you going to plant

[dragonfly]

Gee whiz. That's alot of tomatoes.

The most I have ever grown in one season was around 25 plants. I now have it pared down to 12-15 per year. Keeping up with the bugs and early blight every summer is enough.

[MrILoveTheAnts]

Goodness I only planted 6 last year and that fed us. The "vines" grew 25 feet long.

[asprince]

We eat a lot of maters, taters, and Vidalia onions here in the south.


Steve

[1reb]

In Bradley County Arkansas,  we raise the Bradley County Pink tomatoes  We have Bradley County Pink Tomato Festival, Warren Arkansas USA
I have seen acre and acre of tomato work in them and raise them





www.bradleypinktomato.com/

Johnny

[Natalie]

I am trying alot of heirloom tomatoes this year so on top of the regular that I plant I will have alot more than I normally put in.
The thing about tomatoes is you can always do something with them so they don't go to waste.
I made alot of salsa, bruschetta and pasta sauce last year.
You just have to remember to plant the right herbs to go with all that as well.

[1reb]

Do you have a great salsa recipe?

[dragonfly]

In Bradley County Arkansas,  we raise the Bradley County Pink tomatoes  
Johnny

One of my favorite tomatoes to grow in this area is Arkansas Traveller. I think it's one of the heirloom varieties and is considered a pink tomato. They hold up well to the heat and are fairly hardy plants.

[1reb]

those are good but if you every taste a Bradley tomato they are sweeter tomato

Johnny

[Natalie]

Johnny I will look up some of my salsa recipes when I get back from soccer and post them for you.
I have one I love to make for fresh eating and not canning and the tomatoes go so fast.
I'll post the one for bruschetta too, its so easy to make.

[1reb]

thank you
Johnny

[SgtMaj]

I just love my Grandad's german tomatos.  He picked them up over there during WWII... well, just some seeds that he packed away and brought back here... they are big enough, meaty enough, and not acidic enough to eat them just like steaks.  A little salt on top and you're ready to dig in!

[doak]

Old favorite Rutgers, Super Boy Hybrid, Early Girl Hybrid. I could not find any Celebrity seed. They are great. I have not and am not buying any potted plants this year. every thing from seed.
Except onions and shallots. :)doak

[SgtMaj]

Out of curiosity, what do you do with all those tomatos?  Do you can them?

[doak]

Plan to can 50 to 100 quarts, give some away, sell a few, toss a few rot ends. :)doak

[doak]

Some one check out my post in the computer help section :)doak

[doak]

I will end up with 160 Plants.
doak

[Natalie]

Alright Johnny here is the salsa recipe I use.
You can tweak it anyway you like, I like to toss in some extra lime sometimes and if someone wants it less spicy I leave out the jalapenos and cut back on the spices.
Its a pretty forgiving recipe if you need to substitute items.
I usually try a recipe the way its written first and then tweak it afterwards to suit my taste.

2 cups of tomatoes ( diced into 1/4 inch pieces)
1/4 cup yellow onions ( diced)
2 green onions
1 tablespoon canned jalalpenos seeded and finely chopped
2 fresh serrano chiles
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
1 can crushed tomatoes

In a non reactive bowl ( I just use glass)combine all except ingredients except the canned crushed tomatoes.
Spoon into a blender or food process and mix for 30 seconds.
Pour into a bowl and mix with the canned tomatoes.
This mixture should still be somewhat chunky.

[1reb]

Thank you Natalie,
I print it out and when tomato  are ripe I will make some Salsa

Johnny

[Natalie]

You are welcome Johnny, here is one for Bruschetta

It calls for roma tomatoes but I have used both roma and regular globe tomatoes for this recipe and they both worked fine.

3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 tbs dried basil
1 tbs dried oregano
2tbs balsamic vinegar
5 cups chopped, cored roma tomatoes
olive oil for drizzling
mozzarella cheese
italian bread

Mix all of this together and let sit
Slice a loaf of italian bread in half and lightly drizzle with olive oil
Spoon tomato mixture onto both halves (don't worry about using the liquid) and then sprinkle with mozzarella or your favorite italian cheese.
Bake in the oven on 350 until bread is lightly toasted and crisp and cheese is melted.
Slice and serve.

You can also slice a whole loaf of italian bread into rounds and make individual slices.

[1reb]

thank you again
Johnny

[Natalie]

 

[Brian D. Bray]

With as many tomatoes as had been planted you can make 5 gallons of salsa and still have enough for several more gallons of green tomato relish when the 1st frost bites the leaves.  I make my tomato relish with some Jalepinos or Habarana peppers to spice it up.

[1reb]

Dont forget tomato juice

Johnny

[asprince]

Fried green tomatoes! I love them.

BLT's with or without the B & L, just lots of mayo, salt, and pepper.

 
Steve

[Natalie]

I love Caprese Salad:

A piece of romaine lettuce
One slice (or big ol hunk) of buffalo mozzarella cheese on top of the lettuce
Then a slice of tomato on top of that
Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Sprinkle some fresh basil. YUM!

[doak]

Have to have plenty of stakes for this many plants.
Went to the pallet mill today and picked upa load of slat rejects.
Trim and split these on my table saw.

Here is how I do it.
A raised bed 4 ft wide.
2 rows 1 foot apart and the plants staggered 18 inches apart.
The 2x's that are the ones the pallet boards are nailed to, split down the middle and sharpened on one end. Drive into the ground about 10 to 12 inches. 3 to 4 feet apart. On the out side of each row, end to end.
Run a 2 inch strip from end to end, for the cross strips to lie on.
The thin boards that make up the pallet flat is ripped 1 to 2 inches and tied in place across the out side runner strips. which by the end of growth will go as high as needed.
The out side strips should be about one foot apart. install only after the plants are well above the existing runners and cross pieces.

Once there is a few blooms and fruit on, it is time to mulch.
I like the present years wheat straw. The machines are set to where they leave just enough wheat seed in the straw to make a good cover crop, so when you are through harvesting just let the wheat grow out and till in later. After you have removed the old dead tomato vines.

Yes, I will get some pictures periodically during progression as the project move's forward.

You didn't know I could write like that , did you? 
doak

[Natalie]

Wow doak, you really are eloquent when you want to be.

Sounds like you have everything under control on this big tomato garden you have going on there.
Good for you.

[doak]

18 more in the ground. going to plant some pumpkins and butter nut squash soon. :)doak

[doak]

guess its my slow dial up. cannot get pic's uploaded.
doak

[doak]

Well, It was bound to happen sooner or later



[img=http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/9884/tomatoes0022.th.png]


[img=http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/364/tomatoes002.th.png]
  :oops:doak