Reisentraube Tomatoes by Joshua Heston and Dale Grubaugh. Seeds provided by baker Creek Seeds, Mansfield, Missouri. The red, bright fruit of the Reisentraube — small compared to the mighty Mortgage Lifter or Millionaire varieties — clustered almost like grapes (the name means “Giant Bunch of Grapes” in German) can be plentiful even in dry, hot…
Plate 1. Reeds Spring Tomato Cannery. Tomato Hills by Joshua Heston Solanum lycopersicum. It’s quite a name for the ever’day tomato. A member of the Nightshade family (along with sweet potatoes, peppers and, of course, the deadly nightshade), the tomato is native to the Americas. Some believed for along time that the plants and fruits…
Been Thinkin’ About… Nine summers ago. Change. Love. Heartbreak. The passage of time. The pain of self-doubt. Life. Nine summers ago, the tomatoes were ripening. Strawberry season had passed. Cottonwood leaves rippled in the dry August air. And I was on a mission. One I absolutely believed in for no apparent reason. I had known…