By Jeffrey Page
I read Shawn’s piece this week on what to do with my home grown tomato harvest. Let me tell you about my tomato harvest.

A while back, during our weekly breakfast of eight guys from Warwick, my friend Bill said he had brought along several tomato plants. He’s a serious gardener and had too many plants so he was giving some away.

I took one.

Now, you’ve heard of people with green thumbs. I do not have a green thumb. All I have to do to make a rose wilt is inhale its perfume. If I want to kill a pepper, or even a zucchini, I just have to look at it. You get my point.

“Just plant it and give it water,” Bill had said.

I planted it and gave it water. I bought one of those metal things that supports tomato plants. I put an old piece of fencing around it to keep the deer away. You must admit, this was dedication.

Watch for the yellow flowers, Bill had told me. From those flowers would come delicious, juicy tomatoes.

I didn’t get many flowers, and those that appeared just fell off.

Finally, a little green thing emerged from the one remaining flower. I gave it water. I spoke to it in a civil manner.

The tomato got redder and bigger, though not very big. When it showed no sign of getting larger I picked it, took it to the kitchen, washed it, sliced it, and put it on a provolone cheese sandwich. My crop was delicious.

All one of it.

Next year? Zucchini. I’ve heard they’re pretty indestructable.

jeffrey@zestoforange.com

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