Good season: Growers say tomatoes turning out well

On The Table

Related Photos

Globe/T. Rob Brown These tomatoes, from Green's Greenhouse & Garden, of Galena, Kan., are part of what growers are calling a good crop.

Discussion

July 28, 2010

By Mike Pound Globe Staff Writer The Joplin Globe Wed Jul 28, 2010, 11:35 AM CDT

WEBB CITY, Mo. — For tomato lovers these are the best of times.

Not only are locally grown, fresh-off-the-vine tomatoes available in ample numbers right now, but area growers also say Mother Nature was good to them this year.

Mina Xiang, who runs a produce farm near Anderson with her parents, Nhia and Ying, said the tomatoes that have been coming off the vine at the family farm have been rich in size and flavor. The growing season, she said, had just enough moisture for the plants to thrive but not too much “that would drown them.”

The Xiangs sell their tomatoes, and other produce, out of their stall at the Webb City Farmer’s Market. Judging by the supply of tomatoes at the other stalls at the market, the Xiangs aren’t the only local growers who reaped a successful tomato harvest.

Eileen Nichols heads up the Webb City market and agreed with Xiang’s assessment of the growing season.

“Especially when you compare this season to last season, when it was so cold and so wet,” Nichols said.

The only negative for growers this year, Nichols said, was an influx of Japanese beetles. But overall, Nichols said, the season has been a success.

Mina Xiang said her family sells four basic large tomato varieties: A Big Beef, two varieties of Mound Fresh and a variety she called Florida 91. The Xiangs also sell a several varieties of small tomatoes, including red and yellow cherry tomatoes, black cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes and red and yellow pear tomatoes.

Like most growers, the Xiangs plant their tomatoes in March and by late May or early June begin pulling them off the vines.

As abundant as tomatoes are at this time of the year it’s important to note that, at least locally, the growing season has been extended a few months. Growers who employ the “high tunnel” method are able to produce tomatoes much earlier in the spring and continue producing them well past fall.

“We now have fresh tomatoes (at the market) starting in April and running through December,” Nichols said.

As good as fresh tomatoes taste, they also have a fair share of health benefits. Thanks to the presence of lycopene, the chemical that makes them red, tomatoes have been found to lower the risks of many different types of cancer, including, prostate, lung and stomach cancers. Tomatoes are also rich in vitamins C, A and K.

Fresh tomato pie

1 (9-inch) pie shell

7 ripe tomatoes, sliced

1 yellow onion, sliced

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup shredded cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

ground pepper to taste

2 teaspoons fresh basil

2 teaspoons fresh oregano

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the pie shell for eight to 10 minutes or until browned. Slice the onion and place in the bottom of pie shell. Slice tomatoes and arrange over onions. Add black pepper.

In a medium bowl combine mozzarella, parmesan and mayonnaise. Spread mixture evenly over tomatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Once cooked garnish with fresh herbs.

Pico de gallo

1 medium tomato, diced

1 onion, finely chopped

1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

2 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1 green onion, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

In medium bowl, combine tomato, onion, jalapeno pepper, cilantro and green onion. Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir until evenly distributed. Refrigerate for at leas 30 minutes.

Text Only

On The Table

Restaurant owners introduce customers to cuisine of Thailand
Aithit Worrathong says the great thing about Thai food is the cuisine offers a little something for everyone.

February 8, 2012 1 Photo
Cheryle Finley: Love slow cooker for Valentine’s dinner
Where is this year going? In less than a week, it’s already Valentine’s Day. My husband, Chris, and I will be at Granny Shafer’s enjoying the food and the Duke Mason Band.

February 8, 2012 1 Photo
Wine producers campaign for truth in labeling
Napa Valley wine producers will go a long way to protect their good name, all the way to Thailand if necessary.

February 8, 2012
Cheryle Finley: Super party calls for super plan
It’s just a few days until the Super Bowl, which means football and, most importantly to me, lots of grazing at the food tables. I would be hard pressed to tell you which teams are playing for the Super Bowl title, but it’s easy to tell you some great cooking and eating ideas for game day or any day when you are entertaining a group of family and friends.

February 1, 2012 1 Photo
Dave Woods: Sam Adams founder talks passion, pride and football
Jim, founder of the Boston Beer Company, is the brewer behind Sam Adams stable of craft ales and lagers. I hooked up with Jim by phone recently after touring his Jamaica Plain, Mass., brewery. The crew at the brewery was super friendly and offered great insight into Sam Adams beers. All of Sam’s beer recipes are developed inside the small brewery in JP.
I had plenty of questions for the beer magnate, but one burned: Who was his money on — metaphorically speaking, of course — in the Super Bowl match up between the New England Patriots and New York Giants.

January 31, 2012 2 Stories
Top football cities and the beers their fans love
Many of America’s great football cities are great beer cities, too. Even if your team didn’t make the final game this season, you can enjoy a taste of your favorite home team with these locally available brews.

January 31, 2012 2 Stories
Head to head: Football, beer aficionados offer best bets for Super Bowl, super party
On Sunday, millions of football fanatics across the country will huddle together around big screen TVs, pass the chips and dips and kick up their heels as the New England Patriots and New York Giants face off in Super Bowl XLVI.
“It’s a natural relationship,” Walkenhorst said. “Beer is the ultimate social beverage. The Super Bowl is the ultimate social event, so they just go hand in hand.”

January 31, 2012 10 Photos 2 Stories
Jam, chicken mesh in delicious Super Bowl dish
When it comes to making pulled chicken, it’s hard to beat the two-ingredient simplicity of simmering chicken breasts in a bottle of barbecue sauce.

January 25, 2012
Cheryle Finley: End results vary depending on cook
When we were novice cooks, how many of us wondered if we could get away with substituting baking soda for baking powder? Probably most of us. So what happens when we don’t follow the recipe, especially the first time we are trying a new dish?

January 25, 2012 1 Photo
Chinese secret: Broth is key to hot and sour soup
To see what Kham Luong says is the essence of traditional Chinese hot and sour soup, all you have to do is dip your spoon into a bowl of the soup served at the Lotus Garden Restaurant, 1818 W. Seventh St., and look at the broth.

January 25, 2012 1 Photo
More On The Table Headlines

Some of first to rebuild describe life in tornado zone

On The Table

Search Results

Related Photos

Discussion

Good season: Growers say tomatoes turning out well

Eliminating the state income tax and increasing sales tax was debated during a press day on Thursday at the Missouri Capitol. Do you favor that proposal?

Eliminating the state income tax and increasing sales tax was debated during a press day on Thursday at the Missouri Capitol. Do you favor that proposal?

Site Map

Contact Us