Vine Ripened

Almost four years ago my health insurance company wrote me a letter with an amazing free offer. They offered to pay for an intensive therapeutic and restorative program designed for folks like me. Later, I determined that meant people that they considered to be a high risk for possible expensive procedures. One of the stipulations of the program was that I had to become a total vegetarian. I accepted their offer and have been a vegetarian ever since. People often have their own thoughts about vegetarians and why folks become one. In my case, I had no special phobias or convictions—I just embraced the program requirements. It was quite a transition because my wife and I had a restaurant background and actually had a history of working with steakhouses and savoring all the benefits. I am still getting the hang of being a vegetarian.







Fortunately, we neighbor a family farm where they grow an amazing array of foods. Even as a vegetarian, I actually relish the special aroma on the days that they butcher steers and hogs. My weakness though is their phenomenal fresh produce. I’ve always savored their huge chef-sized baking potatoes. Most of all, I anticipate and delight in their array of field fresh vegetables. Sadly, the succulent sweet corn is just a memory and other produce selections are fading. I purchased their last of the season of cucumbers, peppers, egg plant, and tomatoes this week. For lunch today, along with a big fluffy steaming baked potato, I grilled seasoned red peppers and sumptuous thick slices of tomatoes with a sprinkling of no-fat parmesan cheese. (I also did some chicken for a guest.)






Freshly picked tomatoes are my favorites. I am so addicted that virtually every day since the first tomatoes became available in July I have had at least one thick tomato sandwiched in dark whole grained bread. Even though I buy fresh tomatoes a half bushel at a time and am the only one in my household that eats them, I still have to trek down to the farm to replenish my stock every ten days or so. What a delight! I think the tomatoes this year have been the best ever. I silently try not to show my distain for those chemically ripened things they call tomatoes in the chain super markets. I have been involved in both the food and distribution industries so I understand why they can’t be up to the standards of my neighbor’s farm, but…






As I mentioned, I was delighted to get tomatoes from my neighbor in November. As I always do, I rushed home from the farm to sample the most perfectly ripened specimen. There weren’t any that had that “give away” deep red coloring so I had to go to plan ”B.” I was like those folks who block the produce selection in the super markets and can’t resist squeezing each specimen. (Like Charmin, for those of you who remember that campaign.) Amazingly, there was not one soft one and the color was technically red but not the red I’ve come to expect. I am enjoying this batch of tomatoes because they are by far the best available this time of year.






However, I am realizing that even though they are red and look like tomatoes they are truthfully disappointing. I savored the ones that stayed on the vine to be fully ripened with maximum exposure to the summer sun. What a difference. Reminds me of how important the 23½ degree tilt toward the extended daily rays of the summer sun really is. The sustaining warmth of those penetrating rays makes a profound difference to fruit still on the vine. Yes, there is light in the winter but not enough exposure for anything to be truly capable of bearing real fruit. (This morning all the leaves were frost bitten and the red fruit still on the vines blighted.) Color can even be artificially induced. However, squeezing (and cutting) is the proof of the best fruit. There is something to be said for basking in the extended warmth of the sun and being “vine ripened”.