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Kathy’s Garden Writing |
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TOMATOES, YOUR WAY There’s only two things That money can’t buy: True love and homegrown tomatoes. Guy Clark, Songwriter Poetic hyperbole, perhaps. But inside Pennsylvania, you’ll find the best tomatoes that money, or sweat equity, CAN buy. Whether homegrown or purchased at a local farmers’ market, tomatoes are in abundance throughout the summer in the Keystone State. We’ll travel to a backyard garden in Berwick, and a farmers’ market in Lewisburg, to find some delectable choices. And to answer the perennial question – “What’s the best tasting tomato around these parts?” – the women from the Waller United Methodist Church conducted a taste test for us. Berwick’s Bounty Berwick sprawls on the east branch of the Susquehanna, just north of Bloomsburg. Once home to the rail car industry, it now serves as the weekend retreat of Peter and Camille Ferro. Peter spends his summer weekends in his postage-size backyard, growing tomatoes and other vegetables to serve up in authentic Italian cuisine. And anything that doesn’t get consumed immediately, Camille preserves for winter sustenance. On a beautiful Sunday last August, Peter shared some of his secrets. Healthy soil and plants, to start -- Peter purchases a truckload of composted cow manure and 35 tomato plants each year from Yule’s Pride farm, in Millville. As the vigorous vines climb towards the sun, they are supported by a hand-crafted arbor. Finally, ruthless pruning of each plant to a single main stem produces luscious large fruit just waiting to be plucked. Then to the kitchen, and Camille’s canning secrets. After blanching, she peels, cores, and quarters the fruit. With this tomato preparation returned to a boil, she quickly ladles the fragrant chunks into jars, with no added ingredients to adulterate the flavor. Sterilized lids are popped on, and voilà, succulent tomatoes for winter menus, 90 quarts to be exact from last year’s harvest! Blessedly, the author and her husband were invited to dine al fresco with the couple. Sliced tomatoes topped with fresh mozzarella and basil, crusty Italian bread, and ruby-red homemade wine effortlessly appeared. Sitting in the shade of a patio umbrella, we could have been on the Isle of Capri. For Peter and Camille, “our garden and food preparation mean everything to us, continuing our Italian heritage, and consuming the purest and most organic food available.” We could all drink a toast to that! Lewisburg Locavores Now to the west branch of the Susquehanna, along an old rail line in the heart of Lewisburg. Each Friday of summer, the colorful tents and stands of the Susquehanna Valley Growers’ Market entice townspeople to sample the local fare. Under one tent last August, we found Leah Tewksbury with a dizzying rainbow of tomatoes. Tewksbury gardens on a shale-encrusted hilltop near Muncy, starting 32 mostly heirloom varieties from seed, 532 tomato plants in all. She has enriched her soil over the years with tons of organic material and uses a raised-bed system, with a horizontal plane of wire pig fencing floating above each bed, to support the growing vines. Through June, she too aggressively prunes her plants, but then backs off to allow for a higher yield. Part of Tewksbury’s mission is to educate the public about high quality, organic, locally-grown food. “Once you get people to buy and eat, then they’re sold,” enthuses Tewksbury. “Flavor is so remarkably different. ‘Big Boys’ are okay for tomato sandwiches, but there’s a vast difference in nutrition and flavor with the heirlooms.” When asked about some of her favorites, Tewksbury defers but then names a few, ‘Brandywine,’ ‘Cherokee Purple,’ ‘Prudens Purple’, and ‘White Sutton’ (“fabulous”). Along with better quality, however, comes a higher price tag. Tewksbury harvests about 25% marketable fruit, as compared to 80% to 90% with the hybrids. Thus last year’s heirloom prices ran to $4.25 per pound retail, compared to a typical farmers’ market price of $1.50 per pound for non-organic hybrids. But higher price is not a problem, according to Tewksbury. “Yes, the food at our market costs more, but all the people who shop here are foodies” and willing to pay a premium for high quality, chemical-free produce. Tomato Tasting Now for the critical question of the best tasting tomato, we turn to a picturesque farming village in Northern Columbia County, and the Waller United Methodist Church Women’s Group. Six of the women (and one stray husband) gathered in late August of last year for a defining moment. Six anonymous tomatoes were sliced and ready for tasting. The selection included three heirlooms, two American hybrids, and one European hybrid. After careful sampling and thoughtful pondering, with no consultation allowed, the tasters ordered their preferences on index cards. These farm women, experts in the art of home cooking, rated ‘Bloody Butcher’ their favorite. An early-ripening heirloom of unknown origin, the vines are loaded with deep red fruit clusters, oozing the essence of tomato. ‘Prudens Purple’ was a close runner-up, a Polish heirloom with large pink-red fruit, and a perfect balance of sweet-tangy flavor. ‘Prudens’ is often ranked by national taste testers as “numero uno.” The European hybrid ‘Tomosa’ came in third, mostly noted for its firm texture. Fourth place went to ‘Brandywine,’ an old Pennsylvania heirloom but definitely not a winner in this circle. The two American hybrids ‘Big Beef’ and ‘Bucks County’ found themselves at the bottom of the list, lacking flavor, according to the group. So as you cruise the highways and byways of our beautiful state, make sure you take time to sample the fruits of the tomato harvest. You may debate whether tomatoes are indeed fruits or vegetables, but there’s no doubt that inside Pennsylvania you’ll find some prize-winning specimens. Grown by folks of Italian ancestry with tomato juice coursing through their veins, cherished by local foodies who crave fresh and flavorful fare, and enjoyed by farm women accustomed to preparing hearty meals for their families, our local “love apple” does us proud. Kathleen Arcuri Published June 2008 -- Inside Pennsylvania |