Sources tell me the spoon tomato is the tiniest tomato of all. Seed reviewers note the overabundance of fruit overloading the plant, the space around the plant and the time given by the grower to pick the small, little salad toppers. Psshhh*.
I hesitate to bring up the drought and 100 degree temperatures we dealt with the past couple of months, but here I am. Weather was not kind to my gardens, with my cucumbers BEING THE EXCEPTION. But as I have mentioned before, I grow to give.
So, in the heat, dry of August, I took my miracle cucumbers and walked up the sidewalk, turning in the backyard of neighbor Fred. He met me halfway. The past two summers, I have happily shoved heaps of Big Rainbow tomatoes his way. He likes me for the BLTs, see. As I handed him heaps of cucumbers^ instead, I surprised him with a gift of two tomatoes. Two spoon tomatoes.
I told him to enjoy his sandwich and to share with his wife. He chuckled and said, “That was good.” Now, I grow to give and bring a bit of happy to neighbors.
*It’s September, and I see what they were talking about. My plants are bloomin’ and producin’.
^ China Jade, Beit Alpha, Muncher // China Jade has been the tastiest this summer, but Beit Alpha has been a hardier producer. My guess is it’s because of location, location, location. I planted China Jade closer to a brick wall, causing even heatier conditions.
words + photograph JULIE JOHNSON
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