Tomato season is right around the corner

Emily Gojmerac

Reporter

Tomatoes are the most common garden item around the area. There are several different varieties of tomatoes that include Better Boy, Beefsteak, Romas, and Cherry tomatoes.

Tomatoes can be processed and preserved for multiple uses such as pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, crushed tomatoes for soups, or even the juice for a Bloody Mary.

Tomatoes grow the best in rich soil that is well drained with good air flow. They are prone to blight, which is a common disease that destroys the leaves of plants causing them to look burnt or rust colored.

Rebecca Zuleger of We Grow Foods says, “Cherry tomatoes come first in every season, with a 50-60 day germination period. The other tomatoes take 75-80 days to produce food.”

Tomatoes benefit from being pruned periodically and it is good to clear out debris from old vines around them.

Crop rotation is very important when it comes to tomatoes. Every year tomato plants should be planted in a different location in the garden from the previous year. After four years, the original planting space can be used for tomatoes for that season.

It is best to start seeds in April, which gives them six weeks to be able to grow and mature for transplanting to the main garden.

Recipe to try Tomato Basil Soup Recipe

Ingredients: 2 cans (28 ounces each) organic crushed tomatoes (or if you have fresh crushed tomatoes) 20 ounces of chicken broth (use homemade if possible) Around 18 fresh basil leaves, minced (use 2-4 tbsp. dried basil if necessary) 2 tsp. of organic white sugar (or natural sweetener of choice) 2 cups of heavy whipping cream *OR* half and half 6 tbsp. butter Optional spices such as: pepper, paprika, salt, etc.

Directions: 1. In a large pot, bring the tomatoes and broth to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Add basil and sugar. Let it simmer for 5-8 more minutes. Reduce heat to low, then stir in cream and butter (do not stop stirring as you add the cream to prevent curdling).

3. Cook until butter is melted. Add spices of your choice. Taste and add more spices or cream if necessary.

4. Enjoy with salad (optional) and bread (optional)!

Notes: **Make sure to really mince the basil! **Make sure to let the sugar simmer into the soup for more than a few minutes. The sugar stops the tomatoes from tasting too acidic. So if your soup is tasting too acidic, let it simmer some more and think about adding some more sugar.

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