ripe red tomatoes

Giant Belgium tomatoes


Tomango tomatoes


Oxheart Red and Big Beef tomatoes



The tomatoes in my home garden are just now starting to ripen fast. They look beautiful. Not many, so I'll focus on quality.

I am pleased to see them because the tomatoes in my community plot were early and died fast. I have pulled the vines already. My husband suggested planting tomatoes in both locations. Not my idea. But was good to have two plantings this year.

My favorite tomato is Giant Belgium. Certainly not a giant in my garden, but I love the pinkish color and the flattened and sometimes twisty shape of this heirloom. Also very pretty is Tomango, meant for stuffing. I hope to try making baked-stuffed tomatoes soon. Oxheart Red is a very big, deep red, heart shaped heirloom tomato. Big Beef is a basic hybrid - always nice.

Since my harvest is small this year I am buying tomatoes too. I bought the enormous San Marzano's in the basket above. They were grown at Allandale Farm, the only working farm left in Boston. Really beautiful tomatoes! Growing fruits like these will be a goal for me for next year. The few San Marzano's I grew this year were about 1 inch long :(

tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum)