"Tomato Bash" Update-Bring wine glasses, bring chairs!

I'm looking forward to Sunday and my little tomato party.

My dilemma is which tomato shirt to wear. My stylish new-this year red one, pictured above, or do I go back to the fav, I "heart" Tomatoes? Maybe I'll change part way through! Yes- that's it!

Thanks to everyone who accepted the invite. The numbers are a little higher than anticipated, but what the heck. We'll have fun.

And it nearly appears the weather may cooperate.

When I checked the forecast for Sunday 2 weeks ago, even 1 week ago, thunderstorms were predicted.
As of today, just a 40% chance of rain, otherwise a mix of sun and cloud.

Yahoo..

As a person who relies on the weather, 40% generally never happens in my experience. Please don't let it happen this time!

So things don't get too difficult, the church at the corner of my road has kindly agreed to let us use their overflow parking area. Watch for the "Tomato Parking" sign. Turn in just after the gravel church lot, a lane turning into a grassy area, park. and make the short walk down the road.

I have some lovely cases of Cave Spring wine. ( May need to buy more!) I will have plastic wine glasses available, but it won't taste quite as good as if you bring your own favourite wine glass from home. Lawn chairs too, if you wish.

When you arrive you'll be directed around the back of the property where you can pick up your invitation. You may leave your donation in the envelope which will help me cover my costs. $10. would be wonderful.

Any excess will be used to help me pay for a lifetime membership to Seed Savers Exchange...a goodly sum for a small farmer. It helps them,  it helps me and helps me support them. Thank you in advance for your help with this. To me, it's huge.

We'll do the garden tour first, heading out about 1:15pm, then back up for the tomato tasting, tomato treats created by my special guest chefs and treats made by friends, family and me. If you have a special tomato dish, or even tomato you would like to share, please bring them along.

There will be a cleverly designed system for voting for your favourite tomato. Not sure what it is yet, but whew...it will be clever. I am suspecting there will be a lot more varieties for you to taste this year.

There will be tomatoes and other veg for sale, preserves, seeds from my 2010 stock at deep discount and "No Guff Gardening" books.  Mollie will be helping out "Niagara Action for Animals" by selling raffle tickets.  You just know how persuasive she can be.  Great organization she's helping.

Look forward to seeing everyone. Come enjoy yourself and let's talk tomatoes!

Guest Post-Leslies' Swiss Chard Dolmas

A great guest post again by Leslie. This recipe looks fantastic! And I'm sure at this time of year gardens and CSA baskets are overflowing with this fabulous leafy green. I love chard, to the point I seldom bother with spinach in the garden anymore. Chard just keeps on plugging, churning out green goodness in the heat and the cold. Spinach..not so much.

Thanks Leslie.

From the Arabic word for “something stuffed” dolmas make a deliciously satisfying meal. This is a vegetarian version that I put together based on a few different recipes. You could easily add ground beef or lamb to the mixture for a non vegetarian version. Swiss Chard is full of many phytonutrients that have health promotional and disease prevention properties. It is very low in calories and fats and is recommended in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs. Most importantly, it tastes great so eat up! 

Swiss Chard Dolmas 

1 Bunch Swiss Chard

1 tbsp. butter 

1 onion, diced 

2 cloves of garlic, minced 

Red pepper flakes to taste

2.5 cups cooked brown rice 

¼  cup olive oil 

¼  cup red wine vinegar 

Fresh dill 

1 cup crumbled feta cheese 

Salt & pepper 

Begin by trimming the stems off the chard. Next, blanch the chard leaves in boiling salted water for 1 minute, or until they are just tender. You want them to hold their colour and shape, so submerge them in an ice bath immediately after you remove them from the boiling water. Once they have cooled, layer them between paper towels and set aside. 

Add butter and sauté the onions until they are soft, about five minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cook another minute. Remove from heat and add the feta cheese.

Mix rice with olive oil, red wine vinegar, dill and onion/feta mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

To roll, place approximately a tablespoon of mixture at the base of the chard leaf. Lift the sides of the leaf over the mixture and roll towards the tip of the leaf. 

Keep the sides tucked in. Transfer the dolmas to a baking dish and sprinkle with olive oil. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, until rice is heated all the way through. 

Serve with Garlic Yogurt Sauce. 

Garlic Yogurt Sauce 

1 cup of plain Greek yogurt

1 clove of garlic, finely minced 

2 tbsp. lemon (more to taste)

Olive Oil 

Salt & Pepper 

Mix all of the above ingredients together. Let sit for at least one hour in the refrigerator before serving. 

(More) Cool things in the garden

A day of weeding again with my dear sister Susanne.

Thanks to all the folks who stopped in today to purchase their veggies. You know it is grown here and is fresh when you watch me pick it!

There's lots of food in the garden right now. My motto this year is "If I'm here, I'm open...and I'm usually here!"  To be sure, you can call ahead.

Saturdays are usually a good bet.

Here are a few things you might see as you wander the garden and wait for me to pick your food...

Summer Snowflake Marigold. Wow- I love it.

Turkish Orange eggplant

A picture does not do this justice-Amish Cockscomb

My late planted beets-up for the challenge!

One of the most commented on(ie-what is that?) Cardoon!

Red Noodle Yard Long Beans

Cowpea 

My Organic Gardening test garden sunflowers

Yes, it is a tomato and I didn't spray paint it!

Tomatoes of the Week and see you Sunday at The Good Earth!

In the scheme of things, it has not been a stellar tomato growing season.


The blasts of rain have caused lots of splitting, the humidity has made it tough on the plants. Some of them look like they are trying to survive in a war zone.


But it's okay.  


My heart soars - corny but true - when I see some of the pretty fruits ripen up.


Here's a selection of today's haul, and some of the varieties you'll be able to taste and purchase at  The Good Earth this Sunday, August 28th.  I'll be there with the charming Nicolette Novak, proprietor extraordinaire, of The Good Earth.  It's a tomato party - yahoo!  

Black Icicle

 Michael Pollan, the tomato

T-rif! It's Togorific

Green Envy-fabulous green tomato flavour

Tastes as good as it looks-Green pear

The slightly fuzzy and super cool Roughwood Golden Tiger 

The motherlode-for The Good Earth

Varieties for tasting at The Good Earth

Nicolette taking the tomatoes home to the Good Earth

Hope to see you there!

If...

Rudyard Kipling

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

Change and grow

Sometimes things in life change because they are beyond our control, and some things in life change because they must.

I'll leave you with that.

It has been that kind of year for me.

People have commented over some of my last posts, that I seem to be struggling with the whole farming thing, and what it has turned into. Discouraged perhaps.

Well, let me tell you, I love growing things. I love planting seeds, watching them grow. And even the past few weeks of pulling weeds....what the hell. It's okay.  There is peace in it. I will return to a freshly weeded spot in the garden several times a day, just to admire my handiwork. It is good.

I love heirlooms. I love the value they have, most assuredly not monetary.  The uniqueness and the connection to our history.
I love the diversity and saving my seed. It is important. Terrifically important.

What discourages me is the outside noise.  The competition in growing. The local buzz. The local food authorities and heroes that aren't. The tweets, the mentions, the lack of mentions. The race to get ahead.  It all goes a bit too fast for me and sometimes I find that ignorance truly is bliss. There are some things people are writing about that I just simply don't want to know. I'm better off not knowing.
Peace of mind.

Sometimes that small little world of mine is better being small.

Last week The Ministry of Ag, Food safety Division stopped by, demanding I pick certain vegetables from my garden for them to send to a lab.  Out come the plastic gloves as my food was dumped into a sterilized bag.

Checking for EColi, salmonella, heavy metals, chemical residues. and more. I couldn't refuse this overpaid representative, as she insisted she follow me into my house to watch me wash the produce.
Big Brother is here were my thoughts. and my second was, "why the hell aren't you checking out the **** they are serving at MacDonalds and Tim Hortons. And more. I've never made anyone sick in the 14 years I've sold my produce that I know of, but I can damn well bet some of these places have. And will for years to come.

I don't use animal manure,  I don't use chemicals,  I have double filtered water to wash my produce. High risk for sure.

How did this all end up being a piece of it all?

Honestly, it feels so invasive and makes me want to forget it all. That young gal, coming here with her ag degree and likely making triple, quadruple what I make. Telling me how to do what I do.

A peaceful farm life.  This is not how it was in my parent's day.

The best thing for me is when people stop by the farm and I can put together a healthful basket of food for them. They can see me pick it, and I can explain some interesting items to them.  This one on one is the best and fulfills my need to chat to people. And grow cool stuff.

I think next year I need a change of strategy. I'm thinking here, people. Restaurants? My select few favourites for sure.

But after that I don't know.  A travelling veggie van, which trolls neighbourhoods, a cooperative effort with like minded friends and growers, I just don't know. Selling only to select individuals?
Growing food gardens for people in their own homes who don't have the time, children's food growing lessons where the payoff is huge-fresh food to feed their families? Growing food gardens for businesses?

I think about it all.

And I don't know.

Office job? Nah...don't think so.

 But change is in the air.

El Gastro, Gardens and Giving- it was fun!

Here is the update on Tuesday's little gathering.

It was a really lovely evening, and thanks to all for coming out . 

Here is the recap from "The One Shot "website.  Thanks, Erin, for letting me post it.

Friends + Family + Food = Cameras for Kids!

AUGUST 19, 2011 by Erin Wilson

friends+food+family = Cameras for Kids!

This past Tuesday, the most amazing group of folks got together in support of ONE-SHOT. Linda Crago, a friend and farmer, hosted an event at her farm in Wellandport, ON, Canada. Linda knows that people who support local farms and who love good food are some of the most generous people around. She’s right!

Linda invited Adam Hynam-Smith and Tamara Jensen of El Gastronomoto bring their gourmet food truck to her farm. They planned a menu that included produce fresh from Linda’s fields, featuring the heirloom tomatoes that are the farm specialty. Linda provided a raffle and prizes to benefit The ONE-SHOT Project, her daughter Molly did a fabulous job selling tickets, and Adam and Tam donated a portion of the food sales.

I think one of the most interesting twists of the evening proved to be the way that Twitter wove so many of the people together. I first came across Linda and the El Gastronomo crew through Twitter. I got to knowHeber (the founder of ONE-SHOT) and heard about this project via Twitter. Many of the folks who came out to the event heard about it via Twitter. And thanks to @foodsnark, we have four more point and shoot cameras! Can I just say… I love Twitter!

As the sun set Tuesday night, friends and neighbours continued to talk, Adam and Tam cleaned up their totally sold out food truck, and I counted the funds donated that evening. I’m thrilled to tell you that we raised $420 for The ONE-SHOT Project that night! I am so very grateful for everyone who came!! Thank you!!!!

All of the funds will go directly to supplies for the kids. Some donations are still being made by folks who couldn’t make it to the farm. Keep following along, and you’ll see how these funds get used in future posts.

If you are interested in The ONE-SHOT Project, but aren’t a photographer or teacher and not sure how you might be able to help, I hope that this post inspires you. When passionate and caring people come together, wonderful things happen!

Tomatoes of the Week

It's nice to be out picking a good assortment of tomatoes finally.

As I picked in the heat today, which was even more pronounced as I worked in the hoop houses, I wondered. 

It has been wacky weather this year, which is actually more the norm than what the norm used to be.

Is it worth trying to grow decent field heirlooms anymore?  This year the wet spring, followed by a dry July , followed by a good slamming of rain, followed by more dry.  

Tasty fruit for sure.  But there is lots of cracking and splitting because of the extremes. Which of course in the scheme of things are nothing, compared to the extremes in other countries where people are just trying to survive.

But most people don't want the split and cracked fruit, and I'll sell them off at a cheaper price, makes sauces and salsas, and feed them to my family.

But as I debate this in my head, let me show you some of the bounty today. These are stellar tasting tomatoes. And yes, I have some new favourites!

Cherokee Green Pear-oh this is good!

T4-I'm afraid to sell it! No- it is supposed to be this way-waxy skin and super soft. 

Velve Striee-love this angora leaf tomato!

Thomspon's Classic Seedless Grape. The best.

I don't get the name. I really don't get the name...but great tomato

Scalloped andpretty- off to a restaurant.

In the pot-it's Rosalie's Early Orange. A definite new favourite.

Small yellow Fablonelstyni, and the gorgeous Gezhante  Buhrurkeel

"Tomato Bash" Update

Thanks everyone for the great response to my "Tomato Bash" invitation.


I think we're full up now, so if you haven't replied to the invite..well, there is next year. Unless I feel the need for a career change.




And if it pours again, maybe you'll be the one laughing!


This is how it is looking.


Sunday, September 4th, from 1-4pm. 


Here. 


If you are unsure where "here" is, check out the  directions on my website by following the link "Contact Us".


Or you can do the old fashioned thing, that people like me still do.  Just call.


I am really looking forward to having everyone here.


It is a minimum donation (please) of $10.00 per person, but kids are welcome and of course free.  


Like last year all extra money collected when you come in will be donated to one of my favourite groups Seed Savers Exchange. Yes, it is headquartered in the US, but the good work has had a huge effect worldwide. And a huge affect on me personally.


I am anticipating 4 very talented individuals to be here to showcase the tomatoes.
Kevin Maniaci, executive chef from Inn on the Twenty ( tentative, but I really hope!) , Mark Picone, Marlie Centawer with her raw vegan magic and Shawn Murphy The Keefer Mansion.


I'm not sure what they are going to come up with. But it will be delicious. Uber delicious. Uber tomato deliciousness. (I'll stop there.)


We'll have the tomato tasting table set up again and will have some nice treats for you to sample.  There will be salsas, tomato cake and muffins, and more.


I'm looking for a wacky tomato recipe to share. it will be a surprise, probably to all of us!


And we'll try some unusual things from my garden too. 


If you have any tomato dishes you really love that you'd like to share, or even any experimental tomato dishes, feel free to bring them out.


If you want to bring your favourite tomatoes for people to taste, please do. Or any other edible garden treasure.


We'll tour the garden, (which I pray to God above will be weeded by then), enjoy music by Paul Federici (thanks!) enjoy a glass of wine, or two and sample great food.


I will have some produce, preserves, seeds and  "No Guff Gardening" books for sale as well. And Steven Biggs, the books' author will be on hand as well. (Hopefully he ignores the weeds-or pulls a few.)

I truly look forward to welcoming you to my home and small farm.


We go, rain or shine!

Farming..it's a social thing!

I am feeling a little bummed out by the veg business lately. In fact I was looking at the job boards on the internet. "Sandwich artist?" Who comes up with this stuff?
Probably not for me. 
This is a post I wrote a while back. But I thought it a good way of reminding myself how rich this experience has been.

When most people think of farming and growing food, they think of an occupation that is reasonably — well, lonely.

But I have to tell you, for me it has opened up all kinds of new and interesting relationships; folks I never would have encountered if not for what I do.

I'd like to tell you about a few of them.

I have Irena, "the pepper gal," I call her in private. This elderly woman (a bit rough around the edges) and I touch base many times a year now. She knows where I live. She is an avid gardener, committed to growing organically and to growing open-pollinated crops she can save seed from. Her search is always for certain peppers, though. They continue to remain elusive... . I scour my catalogues for her, but never find exactly the name she is looking for. But in the meantime she likes to try what I have. She finds my prices a bit steep and I understand that. She is from a different generation and I am happy to give her what she wants. She always offers to pay — usually far less than my price —  but when you own the business, you can give what you want to who you want.

When she told me last year she was 93, I could have fallen over. She drives, gardens and has a fantastic enthusiasm for what she does. Bless her — the plants are always on me!

Let me tell you now about the couple who have become such wonderful friends and the way it all began.  Years ago, probably 12 or 13, I put a small, but pricey ad in the Welland Tribune classifieds. It read "organic vegetables for sale" and listed my available produce and phone number.

And Shirley phoned.

With a clear American accent and an enthusiasm that bowled me over, she came into my world.

Shirley and her husband Phil had been buying their organic produce from Toronto and were delighted there was someone in their township (Wainfleet) growing organic food.

Twelve years later we are still together, friends and a shoulder to lean on at times. When my mom passed away two years ago, it was Shirley who led me through a really difficult harvest day, talking to me, encouraging me and just being there. And they say food inspires conversation? It has really done so much more. It has led me to folks like Shirley and Phil, who are on the same page in so many ways.

There are so many more folks. Emily and her husband Wolfgang Sterr formerly of The Wildflower have become great friends. That is Emily's smiling face in the picture above. A ray of sunshine.

Hundreds of folks have inspired me over the years. Young(er) folks volunteering their time here to help out and learn. People stopping by with seed from their favourite plants or the actual plants. Phone calls from older people looking for plants their parents grew... now some of my favourites.

The somewhat eccentric, but wonderful George from Winnipeg, who sends me seed from his favourites. The great chefs I now deal with. Can I share a secret? I was initially hesitant to deal with restaurants because I heard chefs can have — shall we say — an issue with temper management. Not true. A great bunch.

The creator extraordinaire, Tom Wagner, whom I met several years ago at the Seed Savers Convention in Iowa. I'm delighted to follow your progress and support your efforts.

It has been a great ride and far, far richer than I ever imagined. Thanks all.

I am not a charity...but nor are you. (Part 2)

It's been that kind of a week. There have been good moments and moments I'm just going to move beyond.

I mean, when you find a tomato like this growing in your garden, you just have to smile.  Mother Nature has a good sense of humour sometimes, so thanks dear lady for that.


And more good. Of course chatting with folks who come to pick up veggies.  Some I know quite well and some not at all. 


I know my hours this year are confusing. If I'm here I'm open. And I'm usually here.  


Thanks for stopping in.


And my regular customers. I'm glad you stay and talk to me. And especially thanks for the super kind gesture of "holiday support" I'll call it.


 Wow. You know who you are.


I lucked out with my help this week too.  


I did a little favour for a woman in the spring, and she vowed she would get back here to help me.  She's called a few times, but this week the timing was right.  


It has been a little scary around here with the weeds.  As in...are there really tomatoes under there?


We discovered a lot of them today. And it turns out I went to high school with this kind person (who even brought a friend to help weed!) I'm looking in the (Dundas) Parkside High yearbook tonight....I'll find you.


Pretty great really to pull weeds and reminisce with a former classmate about high school, and teachers and, well, fun stuff. Takes you back. Running cross country, high school dances, school trips. Boys.  


I said a few goodbyes this week too.  I was nursing a sick chicken, who sadly died in my arms this afternoon.  I don't do well with this aspect of life. It just never gets easier. 


I also did what a business never wants to do.  I said goodbye to a paying customer.  


As it turns out a very revered restaurant I deal with on and off used my name on an event menu without actually using my produce. Kudos to social media for making me aware of this. As I dug a little deeper it was clear to me that this was not a mistake.


It isn't the first time this has happened to me but damn...why does it happen?


Integrity and honesty are huge to me and I requested my name be removed from the in-house menu. 


When people go to a farmers market, they know there are produce resellers there.  But should you have to wonder if a fine restaurant is being honest about their source?


It just sucks.


I'll continue to deal with those above reproach.  Inn on the Twenty, Mark Picone, 
The Whisk and Ladle, peapod(ElGastro) and a few more.  Makes me appreciate you all the more.


And as for me...well, I'll have a few extra veggies to sell. So come on out!


I'm usually here!

I am not a charity...but nor are you. (Part 1)

Unpleasant little things are happening because people know there is money to be made in "local and heirloom" now. Sometime common decency slips out the door.  Let me tell you about three of my experiences.

If I was to subtitle this post, that subtitle would be "The week I said "NO".


I don't say no a whole lot.  If somebody asks me something I am a bit unsure of, I may squiggle and squirm, but I'll eventually say yes. Generally I am a pushover.  An easy target.


But a few weeks back, I thought that perhaps I was pushed a bit too far.


I received a call from a company that grows and sells plants throughout North America.  They are starting to grow and sell heirloom tomato plants as well, and a small vegetable line. The question was put to me...."Can we come and see what it is you are doing and what you are growing?" 


Seriously?  This is like Walmart asking if they can come and see what my friend at the Wellandport Food Market is doing.  


They have a good thing going...they have a specialty and it is not tomatoes. Or vegetables for that matter.


But they have big sales.  Did I say their plants are sold throughout North America?


"Why?" I said.  "Why do you want to come and see me?" 


Well, it turns out they sell 10 varieties and they'd like to know a bit more about some of the other ones I grow...and what else it is I am growing too. Am I stretching it to think they may want to expand their line?  And get ideas from me about how and with what to do that ?


"I'm a small farmer" I replied. " This is my livelihood."  This is a love of mine, true enough.  But it's not a hobby,  or a pleasant sideline.  It is my living.


"You want to come see me so you can find out what I am growing, because you would like to expand your line of tomatoes?"  "Is that what you are telling me?"


There was a hesitiation..I was told he understood what I was saying, because they don't allow competitors in to see their operation.  And then hesitation.  And.."I'll talk to my manager and get back to you." 


Never heard back.


Hmm. 


Back soon with the next one.