Debra's Garden

Tomato Flowers

Tomato Plants

Green Cherry Tomato Clusters

Ripening Cherry Tomatoes

Some of the tomato plants in our backyard stand over six feet high today.  Studded with delicate yellow flowers where more tomatoes will spring forth, they are supported by a series of sticks and inverted U Trellises. Two of the Cherry Tomato plants have given us a handful of remarkably sweet, crisp, marble sized balls of surprising intensity. They were sliced in two, salted and peppered and splashed with Debra’s best Extra Virgin, not the pretty-good stuff she gets from Trader Joe’s on Atlantic & Court, but the impossibly fragrant, green-tinted, faintly  bitter nectar she hoards in a black tightly-stoppered flask kept in the pantry far from the heat and humidity of the kitchen.

Evander Exercising Patience

The Cherry Tomatoes grow in cascading clusters.  They seem to show a hint of blush overnight, a deeper red a day or two after that; but it is the tomatoes of deep Chinese red that reward an excruciating wait.  The flavor of those is so complex, so fruity and mature, anyone will forswear the dreadful balls of plastic tray, cello-wrapped, and spray-painted Styrofoam that used to pass for tomatoes in our supermarkets.

Fraternal Twins

The larger Patio Tomatoes, shining and glossy, bulging in their greenness, hold the promise of what we both think is a perfect meal:  thick slabs of garden-fresh tomato, thinly sliced Vidalia onions, freshly ground black pepper, slightly tangy mayo and a pinch of Jennifer’s Celery Salt, all on slices of my sourdough rye,  just three hours from the oven if I can keep my wife from it that long.

 While I prefer an icy cold beer to complete the feast, Debra needs only an equally chilly glass of milk to send her into closed-eyed sighs of fulfillment.

(I, too, understand hoarding. The jar of Celery Salt is kept on a high shelf in our cupboard - too high for Debra to see at first glance, but close enough to the front that I can deny having hidden it).

Plum Tomatoes

Plum Tomatoes grow in a window box. Meaty and satisfying, they are wonderful in salads or sliced and grilled on backyard Pizza.

Frying Pepper

The Madding Crowd

On a low shed stand the many pots holding a riot of herbs. Basil, Thai Basil, Pepper Basil, all great with their neighboring tomatoes. Also vying for space - Sage, Thyme, Oregano, Dill, Italian Parsley, Coriander and Rosemary . This last is a curious plant, too woody to eat comfortably; we use it for its perfume and for its flavor once removed. Tossed into a pan when finishing sautéed chicken breasts or pork chops during that low-heat covered stage, Rosemary sprigs yield up oils that give food a subtle under note. Many herbs can be employed so, but Rosemary seems the most assertive. When I have no garden fresh herbs and purchase some at the market, I will lay some past-their-prime sprigs on charcoal when barbecuing chicken both whole and sectioned, cover the grill for a few minutes and have meat more subtly, more urbanely smoked than with Hickory or Mesquite.

Pesto-To-Be

Pesto is the great joy to come from Debra’s herb garden, so she pots several Basil plants each spring. We pinch them back to make them leafier, use some sliced over those tomatoes, pizza or Focaccia, and, when we have enough leaves, pluck, puree with pine nuts and Parmesan, that outrageous Olive Oil, garlic, walnuts and sea salt. It is sauce so good over linguine, mixed with aioli or straight mayo as a sandwich spread or salad dressing. It can be jarred and bring a bit of summer into a chilly winter evening.