A perfect day. Mild weather, blue skies with a few fluffy clouds, a light breeze blowing and heavenly stacks of tomatoes. My search for a good tomato in New Jersey is over. Mr Tomato on Cranbury Road in Plainsboro answered the call.
It’s that time of the year when the farmers market stalls are groaning with tomatoes. I miss Query Mill Hill Farm’s Stupice (stoo-pee-chay) tomatoes, medium-sized, packed with flavor and the tang that I love. I tried every kind of tomato at the West Windsor Community Farmers’ Market. None met my expectations. One variety was so sweet that my tomato pickle tasted more like jam. Then I saw a crudely painted sign advertising the best tasting tomatoes. Mr Tomato’s produce lives up to the hype. Delicious tomatoes are the focal point of an unassuming stall, amid smaller piles of peppers, cucumbers, squash, melons, okra and eggplant. There’s a bench with a scale, a jar for money, bags for those who visit unprepared, index cards pinned to walls, telling you the price of each item. You take what you need and place the payment in the jar. I must remember to leave the mystery farmer a thank you note next time I visit.
Unruly as my garden is, it’s turning into a wildlife haven. My lack of care is paying off. Goldfinches visit for seeds from three varieties of basil. Other finches and sparrows dart about, feeding their fledglings and teaching them to fly. Mourning doves strut around on the patio, pecking at random things between the pavers. A host of feathered beauties flock to the feeders hanging on tree branches in the front, much to Mum’s fascination. Squirrels, finally deterred by the baffles hanging over the feeders, flick and furl their tails under the tree, nibbling at dainty morsels dropped by the birds. A family of bunnies comes to the salad bar every morning, to Tabby’s everlasting delight. She darts around from window to door, now peering here and there, now staring intently. Occasionally, Luca will join her, although he is more about sitting around on a new fluffy throw, seeking attention and cuddles. Thank you, Marta.
A couple of evenings ago, Mum and I were sitting outside, enjoying the cool evening, listening to the birds settle down for the night. To my delight, a tiny blue hummingbird came to the mint blossoms escaping out of a pot in the corner. When it heard me whisper to Mum, it hovered for a minute, then took off. We waited for a long time but it didn’t come back that evening.
False milkweed bugs love to make out on my heliopsis. Bumblebees bustle around in the meadowsweet and tickseed sunflowers, expressing annoyance when I get close to them. Lightning bugs hang out under various leaves, then flit around in the dusk, blinking coded messages at each other. Swallowtail caterpillars devour my parsley. No matter. When they metamorphose and fly away, the parsley bounces back and I can make tabbouleh and chimichurri. My various neighbors, ever eager to kill everything that crawls, spray endless amounts of chemicals around. “Hey Lya, I used my broom to knock down the wasps nest over your garage door,” announces Sal, as I get back from my bike ride. While I appreciate that, it’s just as well he doesn’t know of the wasps’ love affair with my heliopsis. The homeowners association hires “landscapers” to throw down pesticides and weed killers that warp the tender leaves of my perennials. The plants survive anyway, as do the weeds, thwarting suburbia’s need for gleaming, emerald lawns. Then the crew comes at my perennials with their weed whackers. During their lawn maintenance each week, a number of pretty blossoms are sacrificed because they dared to hang their heads too far outside the flowerbeds.
What to do with all those delicious tomatoes
Tomato Lonchen (Pickled Red Tomatoes)
1 lb tomatoes, diced
1 tsp cayenne pepper
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
Generous pinch of asafetida
2 tbsp safflower or peanut oil
Heat a stainless steel pan with the oil, asafetida, mustard and fenugreek seeds. When the mustard pops, add all the other ingredients and mix. Cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are mushy. Take off the lid and continue cooking until the liquid evaporates and the oil separates out. Transfer to a bowl or jar. Cool completely before placing a lid on the container.
This preserve lasts for several weeks in the refrigerator. It can be served with toast, roti, dosa, or used as a dip.
Tomato Polé (Vegan Crêpes)
This recipe makes about 10 crêpes. There are no pictures - the last batch tasted good but were not pretty. I tried searching for older pictures but ran out of steam. I may get more predictable results with a crêpe pan and spreader but I have zero room in my kitchen for any more tools.
1 medium tomato, diced
1 heaping tsp minced cilantro
2 small green chilies, minced (if preferred, discard the inner membrane and seeds to tone down the heat)
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
9 tbsp all-purpose flour
3 tbsp chickpea flour
Safflower or peanut oil
Mix the tomatoes, cilantro, chilies, turmeric and salt. Mash slightly. Add the all-purpose and chickpea flour. Mix. Add ½ cup of water gradually, whisking constantly. Add more water, if needed, to make a fairly runny batter.
Heat a well-seasoned cast iron griddle on medium heat until a few drops of water sprinkled on it skitter away rapidly. Drizzle some oil on the surface of the griddle. Whisk the batter and transfer a small amount in a ring about an inch from the edge, then continue to add more batter inside the ring until it is filled but make sure it’s not a thick layer. Drizzle oil all around the edges of the crêpe and a little all over it. Allow it to cook uncovered on medium heat until the bottom and edges of the crêpe are golden. Carefully ease it off the griddle onto a plate. Enjoy immediately.
Pithla
1 medium tomato, diced
2 - 3 heaping tbsp chickpea flour
2 green chilies, slit lengthwise
1 stalk of curry leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp salt
½ tsp turmeric
Generous pinch of asafetida
1 tbsp safflower or peanut oil
Place the chickpea flour in a small bowl. Add ½ cup of water gradually to the bowl, whisking constantly to make a smooth paste.
Heat the oil in a stainless steel pot with the asafetida and mustard seeds. When the mustard pops, add the curry leaves, tomatoes, cilantro, chilies, turmeric, salt and stir. Cook for 5 min. Add the chickpea flour paste while stirring. The mixture will begin to thicken. Add water, a little at a time, stir occasionally and simmer gently until the desired consistency is achieved.
I love pithla with toast but it can be eaten with roti or bhakri. Or just pour it into a bowl and dig in with a spoon.
It will thicken if refrigerated but returns to its original consistency upon heating.
Absolutely love the description of your garden and all those critters. Reminds me of our Pimpri days. The recipes also turned me to a heap of a rumbling belly. I also made tomato pole a while back except for the all purpose flour. I used ragi flour. Not as nice looking but the pole had a nutty flavor.
I'll send you a picture.