First Tomatoes of 2016

The first to ripen are the Cherokee Purple.
This is a tiny one - sitting on a bread plate.  The large ones weigh as much as 2 pounds!!!

The flesh is firm with the liquid exactly as you remember as a child.  It's a tart, flavorful tomato.  Makes amazing BLTs.

Tonight we're having it with English Bacon from Balson Butchers.  We make an order once a year.  It comes in a freezer pack with dry ice.  The bacon is packaged in 8 ounce portions.  It's a real treat.  Tonight D enjoyed the bacon, tomatoes, and baked beans.

In the spring, D started three types of tomato - San Marzano, Cherokee Purple, and Dorothea's Green.  The Green is my favorite tomato ever (but Cherokee Purple is a close rival!)

This is a fully ripe tomato.  Delicious!

We are now in a race with Late Blight to see how many tomatoes we can before they are destroyed by blight.  The middle of the green tomato had blight.  Just cut away the bad parts, and do not compost the rot.  (Septic system loves it.)

Tomorrow's project is freezing if it's hot or canning if it's cool.  I have about five gallons of tomatoes to process.  Lots of gorgeous basil and fresh garlic and parsley to add to the pot.

A fine time will be had by all!