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Giant Tomato – Prudens Purple

Wednesday morning I was finally able to pick “big bertha” the monstermato on my Prudens Purple plant.  It’s one of the few tomatoes on this plant that did not suffer from blossom end rot.  So many tomatoes on that plant are suffering from this ailment, and it is a real bummer.  I may get a few more whole tomatoes off that plant, but I expect that will be it.

Anyway, behold the tomato!

pruden's purple monstermato

It’s at least 4 inches across and craggy up top.  I think the craggy-ness is another kind of ailment, but I’m not so worried about it.

craggy

Spooky.  It really is kind of scary to behold.

from the top

I’ll eat it in the next few days because it seems really ripe.

I’m sure you’ve noticed that this tomato isn’t purple, as the name of it might suggest.  Not sure what’s up with that.  I just hope it’s delicious!  Apparently it has a similar taste to the Brandywine tomato, a very popular variety it seems.

Will report back on the taste soon.

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CSA Bounty – Week Nine

Well, this week we got a fantastic selection of summer vegetables.  I was really excited when I saw the share menu for the week!  I was so excited that I forgot to take pictures of my share before I dove in, d’oh.  It’s been a hectic week, too, so I haven’t had a chance to do a share photoshoot.  Still, I’ll tell you what we got this week:

tomatoes
cucumbers
bell peppers
summer squash
eggplant
parsley (mint was another option)
peaches
plums
blackberries

Fantastic!!!  You can’t ask for a more summery selection than that.

I took the tomatoes, eggplant, and peppers and stewed them all together and topped it with a little grated parmesan.  I have a lot to learn about cooking eggplant, I think.  It is one of the most challenging vegetables to cook well.  I have a white eggplant that I will work with over the weekend.

I also peeled the cucumber, sliced it, and combined it with the tomato, cut into wedges.  Add a little extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and perhaps some sherry vinegar, and that makes for a delicious summer salad.

As for the summer squash, not sure what I’ll do with them exactly.  I am overloaded with summer squashes of all kinds right now. One thing I could do with them is simply grate them and freeze them for use in zucchini bread or sprouted muffins over the winter.

As for the fruit, I’ve eaten most of the blackberries and am enjoying the yellow plums a lot.  I think I’ll make a peach crisp this weekend, too.  I would like to see if I can adjust the recipe for the crisp topping to accommodate rapadura/sucanat and coconut sugar. Yum!

Pictures next week, promise.

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Traditional Food for Urban Families

Trad Urban Lecture

Later this month I’ll be giving a talk at the August meeting of the Queens Holistic Moms about eating and preparing real, traditional food, entitled Traditional Food for Urban Families.  Specifics include how to:

  • Soak beans and lentils for increased nutrient assimilation
  • Sprout and soak grains for easier digestion
  • Lacto-ferment produce to boost the immune system

I’ll also bring up the subject of raw milk, traditional sugar alternatives, pastured meats, and encourage people to eat a more unrefined diet in general.

And although I do not have children, I have a very busy life schedule, from my day job, to my work with my CSA; from  running to writing; to spending time with family and friends, and more (including getting back to playing music)!  So, I know what it’s like to be pressed for time.   My goal is to help people understand that eating whole, real, traditional food is totally possible even with time constraints and demands, with a little planning.

If any of you reading this are local, please join us!  Women and men are welcome, as are those of you that don’t have kids. You can RSVP here.  Here are the logistical details:

Traditional Food for Urban Families
Talk by Meg Cotner for the Queens Holistic Moms
ARROW Community Center
35-30 35th Street (between 35th & 36th Aves) in Astoria
Wednesday, August 11th, 2010, 6:30pm – 8pm

Hope to see you there!

Photo credit:  image by Queens Holistic Moms