The 2011 Mater Thread!

[Ashmont]

With all the gardens in full tilt and maters everywhere what do you do with them!

Me loves BLT's

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b321/Ashmont_/IMG_2460-1.jpg


Also add to the list:



Stewed Tomatoes
Soup
Pasta Sauce
Sliced in top pizza
Sliced and salted (dont tell doc)
Peeled and canned

[caseydog]

Capresse Salad -- Tomato slices, topped with Mozzarella Fresca, red onion, and fresh basil.

CD

[landarc]

You're growing your own basil aren't you?

I vote BLT, but, I didn't get any plants in this year.

[caseydog]

You're growing your own basil aren't you?

Yup.

[jemezspring]

Salsa
Tomato, mayo on white bread.

I still dont have any ripe maters yet. Put them in from HD in mid May. I normally get my first fully ripe Brandywine late July. The hornworms have been kicking my but.

[BobBrisket]

Fried green maters. Or, fresh maters, fresh basil and mint, and balsamic vinegar.

[Al Czervik]

Cool wet summer here has the maters on the garden begging for hot weather and an Indian summer. Once (if) they ripen, lot's of homemade salsa and BLT's!

[cbpeck]

Salsa
...The hornworms have been kicking my but.

I still remember the first time I saw one of those in my grandmother's garden. It scared the bejesus out of me!

[Harbormaster]

Bruschetta.
We've been on a bruschetta kick the last week or so. Diced maters, garlic, kosher salt, FGBP, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dirt (because I haven't been able to find fresh basil) spooned onto toasted Italian bread.


Tastyyyyy!

[caseydog]

Cool wet summer here has the maters on the garden begging for hot weather and an Indian summer. Once (if) they ripen, lot's of homemade salsa and BLT's!

Just the opposite down here. The plants flower, but don't set fruit because it is too hot.

CD

[azken]

Capresse Salad -- Tomato slices, topped with Mozzarella Fresca, red onion, and fresh basil.

CD

A striking photo...almost jumped off my screen...:clap2:

[gtsum]

I have been picking ripe maters for about a month, but things are slowing down now with the 100 degree heat...

[pman777]

I have been picking ripe maters for about a month, but things are slowing down now with the 100 degree heat...I'm pretty much in your boat as far as picking for about a month. I haven't really had any flowers set and become tomatoes for about a month on most of mine but I still have a couple of weeks of picking to go. I have a Lemon Boy that kept setting until about 3 weeks ago. Those should be ripening soon. I really have trouble getting the flowers to set when the temp gets above about 95 and I can't find any indeterminant varieties around here that keep setting in the high heat.



As far as what are my favorite ways to eat them, BLT is tops but I also really like a little bit of Cavender's Greek seasoning and eat them like an apple.

A really good prep with tomatoes is a salad my wife makes with cucumber slices, tomatoes, red onion, a bit of Good Seasons Italian dressing, a dash of sugar and a dash of sesame oil.

[J_Don]

Cowboy Ribeye with a platter of Sliced Maters
Mater right off the vine.
Mater Samitch
In my Gumbos
BLT's

[bigsapper]

I've got all mine picked (San Marzano) and canned; 4 Qts and I'm down to 2 left. I got mine in early March and done for the spring/summer season.

Too hot now. Waiting for fall to replant.

[caseydog]

I'm pretty much in your boat as far as picking for about a month. I haven't really had any flowers set and become tomatoes for about a month on most of mine but I still have a couple of weeks of picking to go. I have a Lemon Boy that kept setting until about 3 weeks ago. Those should be ripening soon. I really have trouble getting the flowers to set when the temp gets above about 95 and I can't find any indeterminant varieties around here that keep setting in the high heat.

A lot also depends on your nighttime temperatures. My peppers would set fruit with 95 degree days, as long as the nighttime lows were dropping below 80, but 100s by day and mid 80s at night has turned my pepper garden into a row of fruitless shrubs.

CD

[pman777]

A lot also depends on your nighttime temperatures. My peppers would set fruit with 95 degree days, as long as the nighttime lows were dropping below 80, but 100s by day and mid 80s at night has turned my pepper garden into a row of fruitless shrubs.

CDMy red bell peppers are still setting fine.

There's a tomato variety called Arkansas Traveler. They're supposedly developed for this environment, possibly by the UofA here in Fayetteville. About 5 years ago I tried one and it developed one tomato and my mockingbirds got it. A friend talked me into trying them again, said they did good in the heat so I planted one about the 2nd week in June. There's not one tomato on it.

But to your point, our nights have been averaging high 70s low 80s, usually low 80s.

[jestridge]

I have around 20 plants out haven't been setting on very good but getting a lot from niece she been bring them to me. But biscuit/gravy sausage and slice tomato is hard to beat.

[chicagokp]

eating a mater like an apple with a salt shaker near by

but I'm stuck with fried green till they ripen up a bit.

[cameraman]

bread, mayo, cheese, mater or sub scrambled eggs for cheese -- oooof

[SmokeOCD]

tomatoes, crumbled feta, olive oil, salt and pepper.

In september though, we go nuts making roasted tomato soup and vodka tomato sauce. Lasts us well into jan/feb. 40 plants this year. Chicago is having its wettest July in over 100 years - they're doing pretty good. Haven't had a single one yet though, still early for Chicago.

[rondini]

Have a few turning color. To many ways to eat. But, another good way is diced and tossed into a pesto pasta salad, about a meal by itself.