Heirloom and red tomatoes

Just a wrap up about tomatoes this year. We like Brandywine, pictured here:

 And I grew another heirloom-type, German Johnson, which was pinker in color, but had that usual odd-shaped fruit, and PLENTY of flavor!

 This last photo shows two 'Champion' tomatoes. They were okay, but not much different from Celebrity, which we grow every year. Our Champions didn't seem to produce as many tomatoes as Celebrity or another favorite, Utah's DX-52-12. Not much of a name, but a favorite here in Utah with consistent production and good flavor. 

For me, next year I'll plant fewer cherry tomatoes, and I will plant Lemon Boy and Hawaiian Pineapple again (two yellows). Brandywine, German Johnson, and DX-52-12 will be on my list, as well. I'll be shopping for Purple Cherokee, as well. I grew it in 2012 but couldn't find seedlings this spring. Ah well, next year! 

what to do with all those cherry tomatoes???

We had many more cherry tomatoes than we could eat fresh. What to do, what to do?

Finally I decided I could use them in a pasta recipe. It's not anything too creative,

 but it IS really tasty:

Pesto Pesto Salad

Cooked  and drained pasta. We like this mini-farfalle.

Pesto (I have a recipe, just too lazy to write it out here. Get your own!)

Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half.

Parmesan cheese, if desired. 

optional: black olives, artichoke hearts

I just stir everything together. It's tasty-riffic! 

Cherry-grape type tomatoes

Somehow this year, about 25 % (4, total) of the tomato plants we planted were cherry tomatoes. Although they are delicious, 4 is really too many for our family. Next year, not so many ! 

 Sunsugar, a yellow-orange cherry tomato, is a BIG favorite around here. Tasty! In the picture you can see various shades of ripeness. 

The picture below is of a Principe Borghese tomato plant. This is the second (and last!) time I'll grow this variety,

because it is promoted as a Roma-type tomato,

 but we seem to be able to manage only 'grape' sized fruits. 

I'm not sure what the problem is, because the other tomatoes grow to the right size. So, no more tries for this variety. 

Yellow tomatoes

I am trying out Hawaiian Pineapple this year. It is a beefsteak type tomato, which has been a good size for slicing. Mine tend to have cracks, as you can see.  It is flavorful and a good producer this year in my garden, with some tendency to have disease (fusillarium or verticillium) but not terrible. And how many tomatoes can you grow that are 'school bus yellow?' 

This one is a favorite - Lemon Boy- I've grown this variety for several years, now. It is consistent and produces a nice sized fruit. 

Both yellows are yum-tastic, and I'll grow them again next year, I think. 

Tomatoes -what kind are YOU growing this year?

Tomatoes are the most popular vegetable crop grown by the home gardener, and for good reason. They are easy to grow, and delicious! 

This year I tried a few new varieties, as well as some family favorites. 

This one is called 'Green Zebra.'

It is an odd variety, and I didn't realize at first that it was ripe. You can see why. Green Zebras can ripen to a more yellow/green color than the ones I've shown here. 

I don't think I'll grow these again. They are small - and have a mealy texture. 

one more iris post - rebloomers.... in Northern Utah????

I own a few reblooming iris, but I don't count on them ever reblooming in zone 5-ish Northern Utah. 

Then last week, I did a double take as I drove by this yellow beauty in a nearby neighborhood. 

It's SEPTEMBER!! Amazing!!! I am so impressed. Made my day. :)

The end of Iris Week: " I want that"

After the irises are done blooming, what does an iris lover do?

In addition to splitting the iris and moving them around the yard, giving them away, it's always fun to look at the iris catalogs (paper AND online) and dream a little bit about what OTHER irises I might want:

'Lady Friend '

'Bohemian Garnet'

Not to be covetous or anything, but I do love iris! Reminds me of this lady from the movie "Napoleon Dynamite:"

Iris week continues.... Red?

There's not really a pure, true red bearded iris, yet. 

 I have no doubt someone will develop one, I'm surprised it hasn't happened, yet.

For now, though, I enjoy the ones I have in the yard, the near red maroon, russet, and wine colored irises.