Homegrown Journal

At the end of October, before the rains came, I loaded up another bunch of ripe Big Rainbow tomatoes, as well as several green, ready-for-frying tomatoes. I walked up the street past the green-leaved redbud trees, marched through the still-green grass, climbed the back deck steps and met my neighbors at the door. I handed them the tomatoes and spent 30 minutes or so talking about whatever neighbors talk about.

This past summer, in addition to family, I was able to give three neighbor families bags of ripened tomatoes. Out of the different varieties I grew, the Big Rainbow was the favorite. My neighbor Fred — past the redbud trees — insists each and every tomato was delicious, but the Big Rainbow even held a special place on his plate. Try the tomatoes on a BLT or a tomato, cheese, Miracle Whip on multigrain bread sandwich. Neighbor Fred highly recommends them.

words + photograph JULIE JOHNSON