Tomatoes in a Tub

Anyone for fried green tomatoes?

For the sixteen years E. and I lived in Chino Valley, a rural community about fifteen miles north of Prescott, we grew vegetables in a huge garden plot. Each autumn found us busy canning and freezing just about every vegetable you can think of.

We pickeled cucumbers and beets, tried our hand at sauerkraut, and one time...one time only.......made some horseradish. It was an overpowering experience. Tears streamed from our eyes. Near to unconsciousness from the overpowering fumes, we gasped, "Never! Absolutely, never, ever again!"

One of the reasons we chose the One Acre Wood as our home when we moved to the big city of Prescott was the old garden plot, a flat sunny area in about the center of the acre. For ten years or so, we gardened here and continued to preserve much of our own food.

Fresh summer tomatoes mean a lot to me, so now that our well no longer produces enough water for indulging full scale vegetable gardening, I grow two tomato plants in half-whiskey barrels each year. Although these plants aren't as productive as tomato plants grown in rich garden soil, I'm always rewarded with some home grown tomatoes. Early Girl is not the biggest tomato, but as the name implies, an early tomato for our short growing season. And here's the first ripe tomeato of the year!