Since we moved here over 3 years ago, my hubby has diligently set out tomato plants and we have managed to enjoy a few each year, not a huge harvest, but several tomatoes of our own. I got really spoiled growing up, since my dad is a major farmer and has grown tomatoes since I was a little girl. Many years of fresh home-grown tomatoes. If you have never tasted a home grown tomato, you are missing out on something special in life, I promise you. I’ve been waiting patiently this year for the tomatoes to start ripening, looking for that red to start appearing, which means something BIG around our house. Can you guess what that is?
A fresh home-grown tomato sandwich! Oh man, do I love those or what?
I’m so proud of Peter. He has hung in there with the tomatoes and this year they are looking better than ever. I think the soil had to get better conditioned, but now 3 years into our gardening, his tomato plants are huge and full of tomato clusters. Just like my daddy grows!
Not stopping at tomatoes, though…my hubby even bought some fencing and added pole beans to our front yard (insert eye rolling here). I had to laugh. I’m sure the neighbors think we are some kind of Jed Clampett neighbors, but that’s OK. When we are eating fresh beans soon, we’ll be the ones chuckling to ourselves. I do have plans for some landscaping in this area eventually (it’s in dire need of it), but in the meantime, pole beans it is. 🙂 He’s also got some squash and cantaloupes planted in the backyard.
Not to mention the blueberries I told you about in the front yard. These 6 plants are doing great and we’ll even have some ripe blueberries shortly to enjoy, as all of them have several clusters of fruit already.
The blackberries are just getting started in the back, but we hope to get these trained and maybe by next year, we’ll have some fruit like Petals from the Past features. The most amazing blackberries you’ve ever seen, which I told you about here last year.
There’s my resident farmer now, petting the next door neighbor’s dog.
So, back to the tomatoes. They are getting ripe now and we’ve eaten our first tomatoes of the year. And I’ll tell ya this, it’s SO great to go outside and pick a tomato and slice it up for dinner.
And the time came for that first tomato sandwich of the summer just this week. Loved it!! You can bet I eat a bunch of these every year. So, do ya’ll love tomato sandwiches too or is that just a Southern thing? I can just about bet that those of you raised in the South know all about them. 🙂
Had to try out my vintage plate with a ‘mater sandwich and some chips.
Ain’t nothin’ better, my friends!
Joining Jen today for Tasty Tuesday.
This was our first year at growing anything…We started with tomatoes…We just now got our first bunch picked the other day…So good, and so much better then store bought. I am planning on making tons of pico de gala so that not one tomato will go to waste.
There is NOTHING better than a tomato sandwich from the garden!!! I love the beans…they don't look bad at all. You will be enjoying green beans before long. I'm sure your daddy is proud of your hubby!
Homegrown tomatoes are my favorite part of summer. I'm so sad as this is one of the first years that because he has too much going on, my dad hasn't had a garden. I haven't quite mustered up the courage to try to grow them on my own…your post makes me want to plan to plant them next summer.
I totally agree about the 'maters. They are so flavorful and so sweet when you grow them at home. The store bought ones are bland in comparison.
I've got squash, sweet 100s, romas, bell peppers and poblano peppers. The tomatoes aren't doing that great this year. Not sure why. But the peppers are going CRAZY. And of course we have a blackberry bush that the previous owners planted. I've tried to kill that thing so many times, and have dug it up by the roots, yet it returns in full force every year. I only try to kill it because it's in a terrible location. And the birds always get the berries before we do. Oh well. 🙂
LOVELOVELOVE Tomato sandwiches! Also,I recently saw a recipe somewhere for Fried Green Tomato BLT…REALLY want to try one of those!:)
Oh,I've been meaning to ask you,since you come to Pell City sometimes,have you ever gone to Elijah's Barrel? If not,you have to go the next time you're in town.
This reminds me of the vegetable garden we had when I was little! And now you've got me thinking I just have a tomato sandwich for lunch today! Oh look, it's lunch time!!! Yum!
I've been harvesting Romas for a couple weeks. Yummy!
Love me some tomato snadwiches. But I am from the South. Can't wait to pick some from my own plants. Mine aren't as far a long as yours are. They look good.
Wait, one can grow their own blueberries?! YUM! I wonder if they'd grow in Kansas? Hmmm… I'd love that.
My tomatoes are looking gawgeous, but not red enough to pick just yet.
And do you put the chips ON your sandwich?! You should. 🙂
I don't think tomato sandwiches are a southern thing. I live in Indiana and grew up on them, however, my mom's family is from Georgia and Alabama so that may explain it. People don't know what they are missing if they haven't tried them…a little mayo and add some salt and pepper…YUM!
I spent many years of my childhood living in the south and we loooooove tomato sandwiches. My oldest daughter was born at Ft. Rucker, Al and even tho she didn't get to grow up there (army brat), she loves tomato sandwiches too. 🙂
Even though we're currently renting a house (while waiting for our other home to close next week) we still have a small garden in pots, wheelbarrows and wagons.
Nope it's not just a Southern thing…I grew up next door to my Grandparents and they had a HUGE garden, name it they grew it…and they lived well into their 90's. They always had tomato sandwiches and my Grnadmother used to make an onion w/ mayo sandwich too.
We grow tomatoes we won't have any for awhile…I get a kick out of picking them and you're so right can't beat a home grown…
We are huge on bruschetta…my recipe is:
diced toms
olive oil
garlic powder
black pepper
tiny bit of sea salt
put that on some sourdough bread HEAVEN !!!
Happy gardening…
Kathy 🙂
Yummy–You guys ought to try growing lettuce. We grew some that was so good and so easy-I'm pretty sure it was Black Seeded Simpson. You clip it and it comes back in a few days. You need to clip it early in the morning or it has a bitter taste. We would go out and clip a plastic grocery sack full, wash it and put it in the fridge and have fresh salad for dinner. It looks pretty too.
Well, I'm happy to hear that most of you LOVE those fresh tomatoes too! And I had a feeling that other parts of the country had gotten in on the heaven that is a 'mater sandwich!:)
For those of you who haven't tried it, it's SO simple. Fresh loaf of bread (I know there are purists who ONLY use white bread), but I'm a wheat bread girl, so that's what I use. Mayo on both slices (I use light) and sliced tomatoes with salt & pepper, that is it! That is YUM between 2 slices of bread.
Kathy, we also love bruschetta & I do it much like yours, but don't forget the fresh basil. That's crucial! I have made it a lot. Toasted Italian bread piled high with fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper. Another YUM moment!
Your post made my mouth water, lol. I just *LOVE* tomatoes and tomato sandwiches are a favorite at my house.
I just LOVE tomato sandwiches. Have you ever had tomato pie — another yummy summer treat!
I can't wait until my tomatoes are ripe and ready to eat! Good times ahead.
Thanks for reminding me of good ole' tomato sandwiches!! Our neighbor always gives us tomatoes through the summer and gave us several yesterday from his garden just in time for tomato sandwiches for me for lunch!!
Beautiful Maters' Miss Rhoda! Now, I need a mater' sandwich! Nancy
Rhoda: I'm so jealous . . . we planted tomatoes, green peppers and acorn squash las year. The rabbits ate my pepper plants just after they bloomed; the tomatoes and squash fared a little better though. Just don't have time this year for a garden but I'm planning for next year for sure! That 'mater sandwich looks yummy too! Have one for me.
Patti
I'm not southern, but LOVE tomato sandwiches … my mouth is watering here in Kansas, but I have to wait at least a few more weeks for fresh tomatoes here!