On one of my favorite websites, Care2.com, I read about an avid gardener who discovered how to have truly abundant tomato crops.

He started (in May, 2012) by buying a small, round, plastic wastebasket, which he drilled holes in. He drilled the holes around the bottom rim, and a second row up about ten inches. He buried the wastebasket so that the second row of holes rose just above the ground. He then filled the wastebasket with two shovels-full of compost. Next, he planted four tomato plants around the trash can, and then encircled the plants with a tomato cage. Every two days he filled the little garbage can with water.

By the end of June his plants topped the 3-foot cage.

Within a month and a half (by July 9), after a week of record high temperatures and very little rain, his plants were loaded with tomatoes inside the cage and full of blooms too! He grew five foot high tomato plants, each of which bore lots of fruit. FYI, he was gardening in central Pennsylvania, where the climate is chilly and the growing season is shorter than in the South. So for those of us in areas with shorter growing seasons, this technique is a way to speed up the growth process for optimal yield.

Not surprisingly, there were lots of comments to this online article. One smart reader wrote: "Modifications that could make this technique even more productive:

1. Place a knot of rope or twine in the basket holes so that water will wick out through the rope or twine into the soil, and will also prevent dirt from getting in the holes of the bucket.

2. Bury untreated wood about a foot deep around planting areas. It works as a sponge to hold water and stabilizes the moisture in the soil.

3. Use fast-producing seed (40-60 days), since even the best watering system won't stop the blooms from being sterilized in the summer heat.

These approaches together really help those of us dealing with hot and dry climates."

Now with an optimistic heart, assuming you'll get this same abundant harvest as our gardener friend mentioned above, let's talk about great ways to use your abundant tomato crop. Of course, there's the canning and drying - my neighbors make and can their own salsa, tomato sauces, and diced tomatoes. But instead, let's look at a few other things we can do with fresh tomatoes:

Sprinkle Spice Hunter's Deliciously Dill all over these bright red slices before including them in sandwiches and grilled burgers.

Blend a diced tomato with a diced avocado and some extra virgin olive oil and dashes or garlic powder for the best salad dressing you've ever had.

Stuff freshly picked tomatoes with tuna, salmon, or crab salad. Oh my.

Place sliced tomatoes down both lengths of a loaf of sliced French bread, overlapping a little. Top each slice with finely chopped fresh basil. Place a slice of cheese (your favorite flavor) atop each tomato slice. Broil in the oven for a few minutes (watch closely so cheese doesn't burn).

Puree fresh tomatoes (with seeds and skin), then pour this puree into ice cube trays. When cubes are solid, pop them into freezer bags or containers and save for use throughout the fall and winter in soups and stews.

Finally, puree fresh tomatoes and use this as part of the liquid when making bread. Tomato bread makes AMAZING toasted cheese sandwiches! Here's the recipe - give it a try this summer:

Tomato Bread

A wonderful savory bread for all sorts of sandwiches!

Ingredients:
8 Roma tomatoes quartered
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 to 6 1/2 cups flour (all-purpose, whole grain--you choose)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons yeast
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese


Directions:

In a medium saucepan, cook tomatoes in water until soft. Puree tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, combine tomato mixture, olive oil, 3 cups of flour, sugar, yeast, oregano, garlic powder, basil, and salt. Beat until smooth. Add Parmesan cheese and remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 8 minutes. Place dough in a well-oiled large bowl, turning once to oil the top of the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, approximately 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide dough in half. Shape into 2 loaves. Place dough into 2 well-oiled 8x4x2-inch pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, approximately 30 minutes. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until bread is lightly browned. Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.

Recipe formatted with the Cook'n Recipe Software from DVO Enterprises.

Help on downloading recipes