Tomatoes Out Of My Ears

Remember the first time

you head out to the garden...

You’ve watched as your first

tomatoes slowly ripen in the sun...

You’ve watered the plants with care...

And, finally, the day comes!

You pick your first tomatoes,

carefully wash them

and cook them up as a delicious dinner.

Well...

That was months ago.

Now, I grab a big dish...

Trudge out to the tomatoes...

Rip them off the vines...

Splash them under water...

And throw them into a steaming pot...

A big pot!

I throw in other things from the garden –

Chillies

Chives

Eggplant

Parsley

Basil

Coriander

Capsicum

Zucchini

And beans –

All from the garden.

I smash a wooden spoon against the soft tomato skins,

Bursting the seeds into the pan.

I pour pot after pot after pot of tomato “sauce”

into dishes for freezing.

I trudge out to the deep freeze, throw the tomato sauce in and force down the lid of the freezer. I’m getting to the stage where I have to sit on the deep freeze – just to get the lid to close! It’s like an over-stuffed suitcase.

(Okay, a little hyperbole... but you get the idea!)

Sure, I sound ungrateful...

I love the smell of chilli and garlic frying in hot oil.

I love the smell as I tear basil leaves....

I love the aroma of chopped parsley and coriander...

And I love the tomatoes...

There’s just SO many of them!

(I won’t even start with the cucumbers!)

This is today’s pickings...

And yesterday’s – I was slack!