A Dash of Words with Loleta Abi Romance Author

The Writer’s Wheel 6/9/2020: Tomato Season

Loleta Abi

I look forward to this time of year. When you can go to your local farmer’s market and buy some tomatoes, other veggies, and some Big Smile Peaches. They are so fresh, so irresistible after eating hot house tomatoes through the winter season provided by the stores. I only got a couple green, a couple red, asparagus, and the peaches when I went today. Other veggies will still need a couple weeks they said.

Growing up, we were poor but Momma always had a garden. I’d sneak in there to get some tomatoes from time to time. We had beefsteak, another smaller variety, cherry tomatoes, and yellow tomatoes. She said the yellow and orange ones had less acid in them. I’d always break out from the red but I loved, loved, loved them. She grew everything from peppers to cucumbers, onions and potatoes, some herbs and lettuce. There wasn’t enough room for corn.

Spinach was another one of her choices. There were probably more veggies I’ve forgotten. I think she had some strawberries and cauliflower too. Watermelon, but small and only a couple.

This year, my sister and her husband brought her a tall box they put on legs and filled full of potting soil and peat moss. My mother can once again have a garden where she doesn’t have to stoop down to pull the weeds out but can stand and plant what she wants. Her plants are doing well though she had to put some aluminum pie plates up in them tied to string to scare animals who might forage the garden away. She did this I recall when we were younger too. It’s a mini version of the “scarecrow.” Same idea anyway.

I bet a lot of you appreciate the veggies and fruits from the markets. There used to be an organic farm where you could buy dressed chicken or turkeys. I see lots of side farming stands anymore but nothing like that. I’m not sure it was entirely sanitary. Anyway, if you get the chance to go to a local farmer’s market, take advantage of it. There will be a lot of good buys. And the quality can’t be beat.