Sunday, August 22, 2010

Simple Shapes, Complex Flavors!

Another Brandywine approaches its salmony-hued ripeness. These tomatoes don't turn a a rich bright red. At maturity they have a pinkish, almost magenta outer skin. The flavor is a mix of sweet with a bit of savory, and they are amazing looking inside as well. They have no 'center' area that so many tomatoes have coming down from the stem. The entire interior is a soft fleshy juicy mass of tomato 'meat' with pockets of seeds and 'jelly' throughout, not just around the edges.


OK, in the interest of full disclosure, I haven't actually tasted my Lemon Cucumbers yet. Instead of being a zuchini shape and dark green, these cukes will turn yellow and stay almost perfectly round. They are supposed to carry a hint of citrusy lemon-like flavor too. I'll let you know, as I have about three that can probably be picked in the next few days. I have at least 25 of these plants. When I had to thin them out as the seed package said to, they all looked so healthy I just couldn't toss the 'extras' so I planted them all around the outside fence of the garden, with the dahlias and the cutting flowers, and I didn't lose a single one. They don't even need to be tied or staked. They send out long tendrils that hook onto anything around them, like morning glories, and they've tied themselves to the fence, inside and out. They have great little bright yellow flowers too. Cucumber and lemon in one vegetable, sounds like a complex flavor to me!


OK, I haven't eaten one of these yet  either... This is a group of three German Striped tomatoes. The "striped' part apparently comes from the three-dimensional ribs on the outside that continue to thicken as the fruit matures. I thought they might end up striped in color, but it's the texture. How cool and how sculptural!

8 comments:

  1. Casey, I hope you have a lot better luck with your lemon cukes than I had. Mine were inedible. They just tasted awful! And one of them latched onto a pine tree and climbed about 20 feet up the tree! LOL It was a funny sight to see!

    Good luck! :)
    Katie

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  2. oh goodness, I hope they're edible! i'm not a huge fan of cukes, but I'd love to make some pickles out of them. They're such healthy looking plants, I'll be really disappointed if I can't eat them eventually! Of course if the neighbors that haven't helped in the garden at all this year but still take my tomatoes on a daily basis, start taking inedible cucumbers, I'd have the last laugh after all.

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  3. I'VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS KIND OF CUKES. WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THEY TASTE.

    HI KATIE.DON'T YOU LOVE THIS BLOG. SO NEAT.

    GRANNY

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  4. You have a interesting assortment of tomato types. Is the Brandywine conducive to slicing, or do you eat it like an apple ? The German Striped are interesting also, I'm curious if that thickness will translate into the actual taste (and texture) in a sandwich or if they are better eaten alone. Keep me updated. The lemon cukes SOUND wonderful, never had one. Very curious to find out. If they aren't any good, maybe a basket of them for a favorite resident would be appropriate. LOL !

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  5. the brandwines are great sliced. every part of them is tender and juicy. i'm hoping the German striped are tasty. I only see about 24 more total tomatoes on the 8 plants, and i'll be watching like a hawk! the 'bad' residents will only get a basket of cukes if they are, indeed, inedible, lol.

    i was really hoping to be able to make a bunch of sauce out of all of the tomatoes for the winter, but I'll be lucky to have enough for sandwiches through september now. oh well. I'm not sure I'll do it again next year. it takes the fun out of giving someone a tomato once in a while if they just go in and help themselves every single day. and I REALLY hate confrontations or 'talks.' if i have to set out 'rules' of common decency and manners, I won't bother. you can't teach stuff like that to adults!

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  6. CASEY, IT'S 2/28 P.M. I THINK THAT TOMATOE RIPEN UP SINCE THIS MORNING. CAN I PICK IT?

    GRANNY

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  7. PUT A PICTURE OF A RATTLESNAKE ON YOUR FENCE. THAT SHOULD TELL THEM ASK FIRST.LOL

    GRANNY

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  8. I'll pick it for you Granny. No need to fire up the Barcalounger!

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