My favorite things to grow in the garden are tomatoes.  I grow a lot of tomatoes–probably too many for our short growing season, as I always end up with a nook full of green ones.  They are good, but not nearly as good as the ones that ripen on the vine.

This past year, I started 12 Romas, but I wasn’t especially hopeful–the previous year’s starts became leggy and ultimately died a lanky, scrawny death.  Therefore, I bought some plants.  I had 14 total, ranging from grape tomatoes to cherry to Early Girl to Better Boys, and of course 5 Romas.  Lo and behold, due to improved artificial light source placement, my twelve home-started Romas flourished.  I wasn’t going to waste them!  Even though I had used up the planned space in my approximately 18′ x 12′ community garden plot, I found room.  There were Romas peeking out everywhere.  I so hate to waste them. (I feel the same way about carrots–I feel a twinge with every carrot I pull while thinning–such lost potential!)

Anyway, my Romas were looking gorgeous–until the early hard freeze–really early.  It was September 12.  Can you imagine how beautifully red and delicious they would have been if we had been granted just another 2 weeks?

My book nook, knitting nook, and seasonal green tomato nook

Nevertheless, I picked all the shiny green ones, put them in my tomato ripening spot, and waited.  Then the sauce and salsa bonanza began.

Both my salsa and my tomato sauce turned out decently this year–way better than the year before, but I’m not satisfied.  I look at recipes, I play around with my own concoctions, and they are all good, but I have yet to create a salsa or tomato sauce that I found truly delectable, or one that I would actually serve/give to someone other than my immediate family.

I will keep searching, and keep combining ingredients, but does anyone out there have a recipe they swear by that they would be willing to share?  I know you can find recipes all over the internet, but that hasn’t worked for me so far.

It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato. ~Lewis Grizzard