4 Tomato Salad Recipes

Salad with vinaigrette dressing
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Growing fresh tomatoes is a wonderful hobby for many reasons and the grower does get so much delight from picking lovely fruit of their tomato plants. Because tomatoes grow so quickly I don’t find it any burden at all to visit my tomato patch each day, check on the watering and on those pests that insist on visiting while I am not there!

Fresh home grown tomatoes are hard to beat as an addition to summer salads as they are so lively in taste and add a rush to any salad.

Nutritional value of tomatoes.

Did you realize that tomatoes are an excellent source of antioxidants (vitamins and flavonoids which help keep degenerative diseases at bay, including the much feared cancer and heart disease? Tomatoes are right up there near the top of the list as one of the most beneficial foods to eat.

Interestingly enough, hundreds of years ago the tomato was considered a poisonous plant. Now it provides us with building blocks for a long and healthy life. Such are the findings of modern day living.

Salad Recipes.

Tomato and Fennel Salad (my favorite)

On a 50/50 ratio quarter fresh medium tomatoes and finely slice a fennel bulb into a bowl. For every five tomatoes finely slice one small red onion and add to bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Half an hour before serving drizzle with French dressing and leave for flavor to be absorbed. Top up with a small amount more of the dressing just prior to serving.

Tomato, Basil and Pasta Salad

In a pot of boiling water add 1 cup of Butterfly Pasta. Cook until aldente, approximately 6-7 minutes and drain. Run cold water over to cool quickly then when properly drained, add to salad bowl. Quarter 5 medium sized tomatoes and add them to the salad bowl. Tear a handful of fresh basil leaves in half and add to bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dress with vinaigrette.

Wombok and Cherry Tomato Salad

¼ wombok

3 gherkins

12 cherry tomatoes

½ red capsicum

1 Tablespoon baby capers

Finely slice wombok, gherkins and capsicum and add to bowl. Half cherry tomatoes and add to bowl. Add baby capers. Half an hour before serving drizzle with Caesar dressing. Add more dressing prior to serving if required.

Tomato and Cucumber Salad

Slice 3 large tomatoes and 1 – 2 Lebanese cucumbers. Finely slice one white or red onion into half rings.  Sprinkle with rock salt and ground pepper.  About 20 mins. before serving add dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, toss gently.

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Life of a Tomato Plant

Expanded polysterene tray with tomato seedlings
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Home grown tomatoes are a delight to eat and hobby gardeners around the world will grow tomatoes for eating.  They are the most popular ‘vegetable’ that home gardeners grow.

Tomatoes are relatively easy to grow, grow quickly and usually fruit quite well too.  This is one of the reasons why they are so popular.

Growing tomatoes does not come without its problems, but many of those problems can be overcome.

The Plant

The plant starts off in the seed form and is planted into seedling trays.  When they are about 4 inches above the soil they are transferred into small individual pots.  From there are then transferred into a larger pot for selling or for transferring again into the final growing situation, whether it be the garden or into a much larger pot.

Caring for the tomato plant

Once the plant has had its final planting the plant will need to be looked after for several months so that it produces lovely juicy fruit.  This is the basic process for growing tomato plants:

  • watering – the soil needs to be constantly wet, but not waterlogged – the odd day of not watering will be beneficial but the soil must not completely dry
  • fertilizing – the plant will need compost when planting and will benefit from a ring of compost about 18 inches out from the stem once the flower stems start appearing
  • pest and disease control – different areas suffer from different problems in this regard so a vigilant eye needs to be kept on the plant and pest and disease control measures instigated

Harvesting the tomatoes

It is not always possible to wait for tomatoes to ripen on the vine before they are picked.  This could be because of weather or because pests and birds will attack the fruit.

Picking slightly unripe fruit is not a problem.  If you have to do this take the fruit inside and put it in a brown paper bag with an apple or a banana and leave it in a dark place for the fruit to ripen.

Fruit that is nearly ripe can be left on the windowsill or in a basket in a warm place and they will ripen very quickly.

Growing tomatoes are a lot of fun and even those that have limited space can be involved because container grown tomatoes dow very well indeed.

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