Read, Shred then Burn

Yes, it has been a while since my last batch of recipes. Mostly because the yard woke up and needs tending. One of the things in the garden this year is a tomato plant.

Tomatoes in season are a wonderful thing, and this year, I thought I would try my hand at the reportedly easy-to-grow Romas.

They are stupidly easy to grow.

This one, singular Roma variety plum tomato plant apparently woke up about the first of July and decided “Hey, I’m a ‘mater plant, I oughta get on that!” and suddenly started producing more tomatoes than I could eat in Caprese salad, but not quite enough for a batch of home-canned marinara sauce. More on those later, if I get enough tomatoes. Considering how the joke goes, “In the city you lock your car doors to keep your radio from getting stolen, and in the country you lock your car up to keep your neighbors from leaving yet another bushel of zucchini in the back seat”, I might get there.

Two things I learned about growing tomatoes this year are you need a larger pot than you think (yes, larger than that), and marigolds are your friend. Granddaddy’s old Organic Gardening magazines were where I first learned that you want to grow the two together. I’m going to spring for the half-barrel planter next year, and instead of two marigolds, I’ll probably put a half-dozen around each tomato plant. Right now, I’m having to use the diluted dishwashing detergent spray to keep the thrips off the tomatoes.

The only downside to this dish is when tomatoes are in season, it is hideously warm outside, making the oven an appliance you might not want to use. Luckily, this pie (unlike meringues) is not susceptible to high humidity, making it a good dish to make on a rainy day, as long as you can finish it before the afternoon thunderstorms pass. It also keeps well, so if you need it for a luncheon, make it at night after the temperature starts dropping.