Looking ahead to pizza, chili and fresh marinara sauce

STEVE KAWARATANI

“Look, we’re all the same; ... in the library he’s paying his taxes,

in the yard he’s raising tomatoes ... “

-- Arthur Miller

“The fact (is) that you can’t buy a decent tomato anymore.”

-- Calvin Trillin

“Tobacco is a dirty weed,” the song goes; however, it perversely

adds the admission, “I like it, I like it!” Fortunately, tobacco has

some very likable and edible relatives, including the ubiquitous

tomato. A culinary delight for centuries in the Americas, the tomato

has been recognized as a useful vegetable for less than 200 years.

Europeans resisted eating this South American native because many of

its nightshade family relatives are poisonous.

Now is the time to plant tomatoes. The rainy and cold season has

given way to spring. Most gardeners start tomatoes with transplants,

which are available at your favorite nursery now. The best Laguna

varieties include Early Girl and Celebrity. If you are growing in

containers, select Patio, a compact grower. Beef Steak and Better

Boy, planted in your tomato patch, are good choices for large fruit.

Super 100 is a fine cherry tomato; Lemon Boy produces yellow fruit;

and La Roma is planted for tomato paste.

Purchase plants that are bushy, not leggy. Although beckoning with

the promise of early harvest, avoid plants already in bloom or

bearing fruit ... they may not transplant well.

Plant tomatoes deep. Roots will develop where the soil touches the

stem. This makes for a bushier, stronger plant. Finally, choose a

location that receives at least six hours of sunlight. Pinch off the

bottom leaves and reserve a minimum of three pair at the top.

Tomatoes appreciate well-prepared soil, so begin by using plenty

of planter’s mix or Amend to ensure good soil structure and add a few

ounces of 5-2-1 Gro-power and gypsite per plant. This initial

fertilizer application will be sufficient for the plant until it sets

fruit, then it will be time to reapply the Gro-power. Feed once a

month while the fruit develops and then discontinue once they near

maturity.

Tomatoes require regular watering after the fruit has set, about

two inches a week. One can stimulate earlier fruit production by

placing the plant under a little water stress early; however, be

careful not to over do it. As harvest time approaches, cut back on

watering, to get less watery fruit and increase flavor.

Left to its own design, a tomato likes to sprawl. Most home

growers prefer to save space by staking their tomatoes two feet

apart. Another option is to plant tomatoes in cages, allowing them to

grow upright over the structure. Count on a yield of 20-40 tomatoes

per plant, depending on conditions and care.

Most of the diseases and problems associated with tomato root

systems are in the past, thanks to the introduction of disease

resistant plants. Hornworms must still be dealt with, either by hand

picking or eliminating by BT, Bacillus thuringiensis. The occasional

aphids are easily managed using an insecticidal soap.

Sunken black areas at the distal part of the fruit are caused by

not maintaining uniform soil moisture after fruit has set and/or a

deficiency in calcium. This problem is called blossom-end rot and

cannot be controlled with a pesticide. A white scald on the cheek of

the fruit indicates sunburn and is prevented through good cultural

practices.

I hold a true culinary affection for the tomato, because it can be

served in so many ways. It is used in submarine sandwiches, club

sandwiches, BLTs, sloppy Joes and Catharine’s green salads. It’s the

ingredient that makes Bloody Marys, chicken Marengo, gazpacho,

manicotti and lasagna so delicious. And how would you make marinara

sauce, ketchup, chili sauce and salsa without the tomato? Without

this versatile vegetable, one couldn’t possibly eat a pizza, huevos

rancheros, shish kebab, guacamole, ratatouille, Spanish rice,

Manhattan clam chowder.... See you next time.

* STEVE KAWARATANI is happily married to local writer, Catharine

Cooper, and has two cats. He can be reached at (949) 497-2438, or

e-mail to [email protected] atwork.com.