THE $64 TOMATO: Carneros Pink

Our son grows heirloom tomatoes from seed every year.  He gives me many plants that I give to friends & neighbors, which creates good will & lots of interesting stories.

Every year I  grow 3 tomato plants, based on his recommendations.
I am excited to harvest my first CARNEROS PINK cherry tomatoes, which are very pretty & taste great.  I chose this variety because Carneros is a region in California that produces lovely Pinot Noir wine, that my husband loves.  These tomatoes have lovely color variations.

I love the names & stories of the heirloom tomatoes.  Another variety he grows is called MORTGAGE LIFTER, because it was so popular during the Depression that farmers & small scale plant nurseries were able to recover from debt by selling the produce.  This tomato is big, with a funky shape & mild flavor.  It can grows to 9 ft tall. (2.7 meters).  

The last tomato I am growing is GIRL GIRL's WILD THING.  It is named after the grower's dog, Girl Girl, who would steal these funky looking, delicious tomatoes.  They are brown bi-colored with vertical stripes. When you cut into them, they are luscious pink inside.  So unexpected, so delicious.

I only have room for 3 plants, but other varieties he grows are
REBEL ALLIANCE, WISCONSIN CHIEF, GARGAMEL & FUZZY PEACH.
He grows 10 or more plants each year, & is very generous when they become ripe.  He grows old favorites & adds a couple of new varieties every year.

Our son is a dedicated vegetable gardener, & will only add a few flowers if they add value to his garden.  For instance, he will grow BORAGE, an herb that has beautiful blue flowers, & other herbs, but not frivolous flowers.
He has grown flowers from seed for me, though.  I have blipped all of them.
They are not edible, but they are all beauties.

Our son inherited his gardening gene from me, but he is a much better vegetable gardener than I am.  In fact, I am reading a book titled:
THE $64 TOMATO
By: William Alexander
which is a humorous memoir about the author's experiences while gardening.  These tomatoes in my blip could be the illustration for the book cover.  I shutter to think what each 1 of these jewels cost, after adding up all the expenses to get them to the plate.   

I will savor each 1, like a fine bottle of wine.