I can't help but smile at the picture above.
Beauty just has that effect on me. Those tomatoes came to the Garden of Eating compliments of a senior in north St. Catharines who found herself flooded with fruit and visits from family at the same time, making it tough to preserve these puppies like she usually does.
The jewel-toned gems were delivered to the YWCA shelter, along with a few pounds of cucumbers. In all, it was a short load of 10 pounds of fresh food but it was hugely appreciated.
This season has been a slow one for the Garden of Eating. Only mulberries, herbs and tomatoes have been harvested so far. Opportunities to pick out at the Vineland Research Station have eluded me because it's been a short crop year. A wet spring meant a rough go for bees trying to pollinate. So the peaches I had harvested at this time last year have been a no-show, the majority of the crop needed for research with little to spare.
And I see all the pear trees I picked last year becoming evermore weighed down with fruit, which means I will busy soon but I'd love to be able to offer up some more diversity to local social organizations that otherwise deal in canned and frozen food.
Pears, as versatile as they are, are unfortunately not a fan favourite. I try to convert people every fall, though, and will continue on my pear crusade in a few weeks.
In the meantime, if you have a fruit tree ripe for the picking now, let me know. Will work for veggies, too.
