Tomatoes again

 After a couple of years off, I planted tomatoes again this spring. This is significant because of the reason I didn't plant tomatoes for two years. A few months after I retired from teaching, the pain from walking was profound. The cartilage in my hips was all used up. I had two hip replacements and had been using a walker to get around for months. This spring, I was determined to have tomatoes in the garden again. I was still using a cane when I planted the tomatoes myself. 

First I found two Super Sweet One Hundreds and planted them. Then a Beefmaster, an experiment for me. Then two Sun Golds, my favorite. 

I got some tips about raising beefsteak tomatoes from the garden center where I found them. I will say, I am proud and at the same time humbled by the mighty Beefmaster tomato. Here are the first fruits as they began ripening. 

I grew up eating homegrown tomatoes, but I have never tasted anything like the Beefmaster. To my mind, there are few summer foods more delightful than tuna salad with tomatoes. 

I will definitely grow the Beefmaster again next spring. Probably more than one vine. It is a slow growing tomato but it is well worth the wait. I no longer need the cane to get around. Bending over takes a toll on my hips, even though it has been five months since the second surgery, so I have to limit how much weeding I do. The tomatoes have rewarded my determination a hundred fold. Every bite makes me think of my father and grandfather. This passion for tomatoes must be genetic.