Why?

Specifically, why tomatoes?  "What's to say about tomatoes?" you may ask.  Answer:  More than you probably want to know.

I got the idea about Tomato Mama because I call myself the "Tomato Whisperer" and grow lots of tomatoes during the late spring and summer months.  (Sometimes the tomato bushes even last until November.)  And because I love figuring out ways to use and eat and enjoy them.  Love new recipes, so if you have a favorite one, send it along and I may print it.

OK.. 'nuff of that.  The point of this blog is to have a good time and share tomato tips and recipes with others.  I also aim to educate with a bit of history as well as info on how canned, dried, etc. tomatoes are harvested and delivered to the company the cans them and sells them to your local supermarket.  And, darn it!  I just love fresh ripe tomatoes!  I even like fried green tomatoes and the tomato cousin (of sorts) the tomatillo.  I get spoiled by my home-growns and am VERY picky about the tomatoes I buy at the markets (farmer's or super) - but more about that another time.

Along the way, and beginning tomorrow, there will be 365 ways to eat, use, enjoy tomatoes.  I welcome thoughts, comments, questions and ideas about the "other" fruit of the vine. 

So, let us begin with a little history.  Wikipedia says that the tomato is a savory, typically red, edible fruit, as well as the plant (Solanum lycopersicum) which bears it. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler climates.

The tomato is often considered a perennial and is a member of the Nightshade family.  It was widely used by Mesoamerican (read Aztec, Maya, etc.) although for a while it was viewed with suspicion, due to its relationship with Nightshade, by Europeans.  How it came to be domesticated and other historical tidbits is covered very nicely by the Wikipedia article.  Suffice it to say that it was eventually domesticated and it flourished in Mediterranean climates although it wasn't known to be grown in England until the late 1500's.

So more history....?  No, not right now.  I shall be doling out bits of history as I go along and hope to capture and keep your interest over time.

Tomorrow:  recipe for Spaghettini con Feta and a bit about growing tomatoes - generally and here in the Bay area.