Cherry Tomatoes

If you don't grow cherry tomatoes, I would like to encourage you to try a couple of varieties next year.  They are easy to grow and usually very prolific.  You can grow cherry tomatoes in a large pot on the patio or in your flower bed.  I have two planted in my herb garden.  They need six hours of full sun and well drained rich soil. Once you start growing these you will never stop.  They are so sweet and colorful.  They look beautiful in salads or pasta.....they liven things up with their beautiful colors and taste.

Here are some of the varieties I chose this year; Black Cherry (it's pictured in the yellow bowl).  This is the first year I have tried this one.  It is full flavored, acidic, has dark red fruit on very strong plants.  I really like it but it's not my favorite.  Sun Gold (one of my favorites) very sweet, orange fruit and the plant is prolific.  Cherry Falls is sweet, cherry pink fruit.  This one is also prolific and it does well in pots or this one would do well in a hanging basket.  Sweet Million is super sweet and has long trusses of tiny delicious tomatoes.  This tomato is so sweet if is burst before you get it off the vine it is sticky.  Sweet Baby Girl is a smaller plant than the others it is sweet with red fruit.  Lemon Cherry is one I want to try.  I couldn't find it this year but I hope to find it next year. 

I had so many cherry tomatoes last year that I used them to make my Tomato Jam.  I also made roasted cherry tomatoes and this is so wonderful.  Here's the recipe.

4 pints of cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar

Bake at 350 in a jelly roll pan 1 hour and 20 minutes.  Remove and discard garlic.  Stir in 1.2 cup chopped fresh basil, 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar, and 1/2 salt. 

You can put this over some pasta or put a spoon full on a crosstini.  It's delicious.

I just got home from the Farmer's Market in Chickasha.  It was wonderful this morning.  You could smell the sweetness in the air from all the produce.  I got wonderful cantaloupes and a huge watermelon from Rush Springs.  They also had fresh okra......guess we'll be having some fried okra either tonight or tomorrow. 

Summer is GREAT!