God bless the garden ~ September 6, 2001

David Heiller

Cindy has a calendar on her desk that has interesting sayings on it for every day of the year, except for the weekends, when two days are combined together.

Sometimes she hands me a saying on a busy day, when the phone is ringing and the com­puter is crashing, and I just glance at it before sending it flying into the waste basket.

I could probably benefit from those notes, but I don’t take the time to let them soak in.

But when she handed me the one reprinted at right, I stopped and read it and actually saved it, which must be the ultimate compliment to people who create daily calendars.

It sums up what I feel a lot these days. There isn’t a day that goes by this time of year when something from the garden doesn’t end up on the table.

If you have a garden, I bet you feel the same way.

Even the little ones are pleased with the bounty!

Cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, onions, pep­pers, cucumbers, carrots, and beets are all tak­ing their turns on our dinner plates. Often they are served with meat that is “home-grown” too, such as venison or fish.

It’s a satisfying feeling, like the Good Book says, eating things that wouldn’t be here if not for you. It has been a great year for the garden. Plus if you don^’t grow something, or if a crop fails, there are people willing to give extra produce away. Two different families gave us green beans when they found out we didn’t plant any. (And my corn crop didn’t turn out, hint-hint.)

The one vegetable that I didn’t mention above deserves a paragraph all its own: tomatoes! They are the monarchs of the garden, voluptu­ous and wholesome all at the same time. We think—almost fantasize—about them all year, especially when we buy a pale imitation in the grocery store in February. We can’t wait for the taste of fresh tomatoes. That time is now.

There isn’t a better or simpler meal than a toasted bagel topped with cheese and home-grown tomatoes. I would choose it over the fan­ciest meal in a 10-star restaurant. It’s one of those things that money can’t buy.

They are thick on the vines. They are taking over counter space, and filling the freezer and canning shelves. Yet are the one vegetable that we don’t get tired of.

Hanging out with the beets.

Zucchinis, we get tired of. Tomatoes are like that favorite uncle that you hate to see leave at family get-togethers. They make all the work and mess of gardening worthwhile. They are the gardener’s ultimate reward.

It’s funny, tomatoes are so abundant now that you can barely give them away. But come Janu­ary, we are going to be longing for them, just like we will pine for a heat wave.