The Sweetest Tomato

I am not much of a gardener. But, I am learning.

I was given a potted gerbera daisy one year for my birthday. I went out of town for a couple weeks and had forgotten to ask my roommate to water my flower. I returned home to a shriveled, dead plant. The poor thing baked in the summer sun.

Last year, I was again given a plant for my birthday: a tomato plant. I had named it Mater as in the character from the Pixar movie, Cars. ("As in 'Ta-Mater'...") Determined not to make the same mistake, I kept a close eye on it, making sure that it received some TLC. It had grown to be taller than me. Not bad for a cherry tomato plant. The best part was that it had tomatoes! Proof that I can do some gardening. So I made a second attempt this year: I picked up a beefsteak tomato plant, Mater 2. It has not grown very tall, but I am proud to say that it has produced fruit. At first, there was only one, and it grew big. But I think the best part was watching it change color. It started out green. Then, there would be a patch of light orange and, before you know it, it has become plump, juicy, and red.

I decided to eat the first fruit of my labor one night. My husband had decided to make an enchilada bake for dinner, so I chopped it up to garnish. It was the sweetest tomato I have tasted. I mean sweet like a fruit, though botanically speaking a tomato is a fruit.

I have five more little guys on their way. Hopefully they will be just as good.