My husband loves to garden, something ingrained in him from his Powhatan County upbringing with a dad who added fresh veggies to the table by plowing and tending a huge garden. The four kids helped with watering and weeding, and learned to harvest the earth.
As a result of those early years learning from his dad, each summer we enjoy all the fresh goodies Mr. Mitchell has cultivated, and we share them with family, friends, and neighbors.
This year the tomatoes were later than usual but they are finally beginning to ripen with enough to make tomato sandwiches, that summertime staple that everyone looks forward to during the hot growing months.
Singer-songwriter John Denver sang about “Home Grown Tomatoes”….
Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What’d life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can’t buy
That’s true love and homegrown tomatoes
Chili peppers and jalapenos rounded out today’s haul which means we’ll be eating fresh tonight. Which got me to wondering how many people even bother to plant vegetable gardens anymore….
Denver’s “Home Grown Tomatoes” pretty much sums it up.
There ain’t nothin’ in the world that I like better
Than bacon n’ lettuce n’ homegrown tomatoes
Up in the mornin’, out in the garden
Get you a ripe one, don’t get a hard one.
Plant em in the spring, eat em in the summer
All winter without em is a culinary bummer
I forgot all about the sweatin’ and the diggin’
Every time I go out and pick me a big one
Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What’d life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can’t buy
That’s true love and homegrown tomatoes
You can go out to eat, that’s for sure
But there’s nothin’ a homegrown tomato won’t cure
Put em in a salad, put em in a stew
You can make your own very own tomato juice
Eat em with eggs, eat em with gravy
Eat em with beans, pinto or navy
Put em on the side, put em in the middle
Homegrown tomato on a hot cake griddle
Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What’d life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can’t buy
That’s true love and homegrown tomatoes
If I was to change this life I lead
You’d call me Johnny Tomatoseed
‘Cause I know what this country needs
Homegrown tomatoes every yard you see
When I die don’t bury me
In a box in a cold dark cemetery
Out in the garden would be much better
‘Cause I could get a-pushin’ with the homegrown tomatoes
Homegrown tomatoes, homegrown tomatoes
What’d life be without homegrown tomatoes
Only two things that money can’t buy
That’s true love and homegrown tomatoes
Enjoy your hot summer day filled with home grown goodies from the garden.
Cover photo: Monday’s harvest from the garden
