GARDENING
Tasmania has a long and proud tomato culture. Every summer gardeners around the state rise to the challenge of growing a tasty tomato. And, every summer, the Tassie climate tosses a few curve balls to keep growers on their toes.
This year a new book should help gardeners in the annual tomato growing challenge. Aptly titled Tomato, the hefty 360plus-page book, is subtitled ‘know sow grow feast’. Written by tomato experts Penny Woodward, Janice Sutton and Karen Sutherland it’s to be launched this week as part of bicentennial celebrations at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens.
The book’s focus is heirloom tomato varieties with information on how to grow them and tips on how to develop your own tomato variety. A large chunk of the book (titled Feast and written by Janice Sutton) is about recipes to preserve and use tomatoes. Some are from well-known Australian cooks and chefs including Tassie’s own Sally Wise.
I am keen to try Alex Elliott-Howery’s Green Tomato Hot Sauce recipe. It uses up the green tomatoes that are plentiful at the end of the tomato season when the autumn chill brings growth to an end. Alex is co-owner of Cornersmith, a cafe and picklery in Sydney. But thinking about green (unripe) tomatoes is jumping ahead; first comes the planting and growing and choosing which varieties to buy.
One appealing thing about heirloom tomatoes is their broad colour range. Sure there are lots of red tomatoes (in all shapes and sizes) but why not try a yellow, orange, green, purple, pink, or striped variety? In Tomato Penny Woodward describes the more than 220 tomato varieties that are available in Australia in a rainbow of colours.
Annual tomato sale hits Hobart
To get us off to an exciting start to the tomato season, the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens holds its annual tomato seedling sale later this week (October 18 and October 20), with 200 heirloom varieties on sale. The seedlings have been lovingly grown and tended by Margot White and her band of volunteers. Margot was the inspiration behind the book and source of many of the tomatoes showcased in the book’s photographs.
“There are 200 varieties to celebrate the RTBG’s bicentenary which means we’ve produced about 9500 seedlings in 10cm pots (each costs $5). Larger plants in 20cm pots grown for the book launch are also available,” she says.
Although Margot admits being “tomatoed out” by the time sale day arrives she still grows her own at home where she claims they are treated pretty harshly.
“I love ‘Black Cherry’ and any cherry but they all have their own taste and good points. Last year I grew ‘Riesentraube’ for the first time and liked the distinct pointed shape,” she adds. “It’s a great time of year when you first plant them with hope of a great crop and a glorious summer ahead.
“Sometimes the season is cruel — super dry and hot — and so the crop suffers but it is too hard to forecast the future.
Plant sale and book details
Tomato is a self-published hardback book available at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, in selected bookshops or online at pennywoodward.com.au, edibleeden.com.au or feastblog.com for $60. Authors Penny Woodward, Janice Sutton and Karen Sutherland will be signing copies during the Annual Tomato Sale on Thursday, October 18, and Saturday, October 20. The sale is in the glasshouse at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens in Hobart from 11am-3pm Thursday ($10 entry) or 10am-3pm Saturday (free entry).