[mdvaden]

How many chefs grow their own tomatoes?

Of all the vegetables I grow, I'd say tomatoes are the most dramatic for flavor when comparing bought products to home-grown in most cases.

I like most varieties, but I think cherry tomatoes are my favorites because of the sweetness and size.

[Pinot]

I am not a chef , but I do love cooking and vegetable growing and they are very complimentry passtimes.

I grow tomatoes here in Sydney , but due to an awful fruit fly problem we are restricted to growing only cherry tomatoes. Luckily these days cherry tomatoes come in all shapes , sizes and colours . So there is plenty to choose from , although I have found the standard red ones still taste the best. I would love to grow romas and oxhearts too , but its either eat them full of grubs , eat them green or use some pretty nasty chemicles. So I don't bother. I still don't understand why fruit flies leave the cherry tomatoes alone ??

Broadening the subject a little I find that I grow certain vegetables simply because the shop/market versions are below par and its the only way to get a decent fresh product.
Tomatoes would definatley top this list as all but a tiny minority of whats available around here is complete rubbish.
But other everyday things I "have too grow" to get something worthy are-

Garlic - nothing beats very fresh picked garlic
Basil
Lettuce greens mixed, rocket etc
Leeks
Corriander leaf
Horseradish
Zuchini
I would like to gorw more , but space / time is quite limited. My dream business one day is a restaurant along side a very large veggie garden

[mdvaden]

Hope your dream comes true. Ours might be a snack shop or ice cream parlor coupled with an aviary.

My wife thought it was a bit over the top, but I asked her "if you were a kid, would you ask mommy to eat ice cream at Seaside's main drag with the stores, or the Vaden's really cool place with all the exotic birds" - she agreed; the birds.

We have so many tomatoes in summer, I'd like to find if a local chef would be willing to buy organic homegrown from us even if the supply would be limited. I don't think we could spare more than about 50 lbs of excess per week. But you must admit, the meals at a restaurant that one night would be really good - at least the salads.

[redace1960]

i live north of bellingham, washington and brother, the summer just
flies past here. i still manage to grow tomatoes and peppers out of
doors, though things like cantaloupe need to be protected in my micro-
climate. there is nothing like a fresh tomato. that fugitive perfume and
flavor that only a tomato still hot from the sun has-wow!! to be able to
wander around my garden and pick my meals is a little bit of heaven.
i grow:
tomatoes-beefsteak, saladette, roma and cherry types
chives,garlic, leeks, shallot, cilantro, had to quit horseradish 'cos it took over...
rosemary,basil, strawberries, lemonbalm, monarda
pole beans, scarlet runner beans, spacemaster cukes
corn, lettuces, esp. oakleaf, sugar snap peas, sage, thyme,
parsley, artemesia, calendula.........
yes, i dry my own herbs, make sachets, put by vegetables, all that
hippiefried stuff. peace, man!