Good morning to you all, in the waning days of April. You may have noticed the presence of plump tomatoes on the shelves of markets and groceries of late. But that’s just the cover — what about the inside?
A regular reader wrote, “I stopped in at my favorite farm stand this week to find Florida tomatoes for $2.99 a pound. I asked if they were good and was told yes. But neither their bland taste nor their mealy consistency was good. So here are my questions. How can you tell a good tomato? Where can you find them? Do I have to wait until June? And finally, what do you do with several pounds of mealy bland tomatoes when they are no good to eat plain and sliced?”
I now expand these requests to all things tomato. We are entering the glories of tomato season, and perhaps one of you will tell us what tomatoes to plant and how to get the best yield right in one’s own backyard. That would solve everything — at least for a season.
A correspondent mentioned hashes in his recent missive. As it turns out, this is a small food category not well known these days. Here’s a simple definition, and along with it comes our request for a favorite hash recipe in your home or in your history.
“Hashes are made in one pan and may include diced potatoes, onions and meats (like corned beef, sausage or bacon) fried until crispy. Popular variations include adding eggs for breakfast, using sweet potatoes or incorporating leftovers. Key techniques include using a cast-iron skillet for even browning.”