Tomato Turmoil

I am so mad! This year we started the garden early. Everything was growing nicely. We even were on top of watering our vegetable medleys that the kids helped to plant this year. I really love fresh tomatoes out of my summer garden. Especially with a little fresh basil, a little feta cheese and some balsamic vinegar……yum!  Anyway, after a long weekend away, I went to take a look at my prized plants. Maybe pick a few for dinner and ugggggh…No tomatoes!  Not only were the tomatoes gone, but the plant itself was chomped down to the vine. The culprit?  DEER! I think. If not, I apologize Mr. Deer, it may actually be that pesky lawn seal-like ground hog that hangs out in our back yard too. But I may remind you I caught you standing right inside the fence of our garden last year.  Either way, the chances of having any tomatoes grow now are practically nil to none and it will pain me to go to the grocery store to buy someone else’s fresh tomatoes this summer.

Tomatoes, in general, are not only delicious but have so much nutritional value. Whether it is cherry, Beefsteaks, Hybrids or Grape tomatoes, the nutritional bonus you get from these red beauties is that they can ward off disease. Tomatoes possess lycopene which is a caratenoid pigment found in tomatoes and is believed to protect people from heart disease and cancers. Health benefits of tomatoes include treating urinary tract infections, skin ailments and diabetes, lowering hypertension, and they are also good for gut health and eyesight. Tomato is considered both a vegetable and fruit and is used in yummy dishes around the world. It boosts the health of a person if consumed daily. It contains numerous antioxidants which combat various types of cancer. Also tomato is rich in minerals and vitamins and also protects the heart from cardiovascular diseases. Also, tomato prevents urinary tract infections and hypertension, and promotes eye health. (www.drgranny.com)

From a nutritional standpoint, a average size tomato is about 20 calories, and is loaded with Vitamin A, C and Potassium, not to mention some calcium. If you are not a raw tomato lover, 1 cup of tomato sauce is about 80 calories with most of calories coming from carbs and no fat. And for you ketchup lovers, 1 tablespoon of tomato bliss is about 15 calories.  And while it seems fresh tomatoes have a higher nutritional value, tomato paste can have up to 6 times more lycopene than fresh tomatoes. Go figure. Keep an eye on the sodium content of canned and processed tomatoes though, it can run quite high and often varies with different brands.

This weekend, I added a layer of netting around the garden. We’ll see if they get through that! Maybe I can still get a few home-grown tomatoes after all before the season is over. It just seems like they taste that much better when you grow your own. Maybe next year I will build a better tomato fortress to keep out the deer and groundhog. Best wishes with your own Beefsteaks and enjoy the tomato season while it lasts.