102 AWW FOOD • ISSUE TWENTY FOUR
tomatoes
Tomatoes can be one of the most
satisfying crops for kids to grow, due
to their rich colours and because the
flavour of freshly picked tomatoes is
so much more delicious than those
bought from the supermarket – how
juicy and succulent is the fruit when
freshly picked!
Of course, your children will need
a helping hand to get the best results.
Tomatoes take several months to grow,
depending on the variety. Because
cherry tomatoes grow more quickly,
they are a great option for impatient
young gardeners. So get them to plant
seedlings in early spring – then they
can enjoy harvesting juicy, red
tomatoes by mid−summer. Another
plus – cherry tomatoes are ideal for
containers, while larger varieties need
to be supported by stakes.
GROWING TOMATOES
Tomatoes must have lots of sun and
warmth to produce fruit, so give
your budding gardener a position
that has at least six hours of sun
a day. The soil should be well
drained and needs plenty of
organic matter, because tomato
plants do require a lot of nutrients.
The plants can get fungal problems,
so encourage your children to water
the plant at ground level and avoid
spraying the leaves with water.In hot, dry weather, they should
water the tomato plants every day. As
the plants begin to flower, you should
apply specially formulated tomato
fertiliser to help them get a large crop.USING TOMATOES
Tomatoes can be used fresh in
salads or cooked in sauces, casseroles
or grilled as a wonderful side dish.
Tomatoes have the best flavour when
eaten warm, just after being picked.
If you have a bumper crop, why not
make tomato sauce for the family’s
fave pasta dish?TOMATO SAUCE
PREP + COOK TIME 2 HOURS 45 MINUTES
MAKES ABOUT 7 CUPS4kg ripe tomatoes
⅓ cup (80ml) olive oil
4 small brown onions (320g),
chopped finely
8 cloves garlic, crushed
⅔ cup finely chopped fresh basil1 Use a small knife to cut a small
cross (not too deep) in the base of
each tomato. Bring a large saucepan
of water to the boil. Use tongs to
carefully lower a few of the tomatoes
into the boiling water. Leave them for
about 10 seconds or until the skins
just start to come away from the
tomatoes. Take the tomatoes from
the pan and put them in a large bowl
filled with iced water. When they are
cool enough to touch, peel off the
skins. Keep doing this until all the
tomatoes are peeled.
2 Cut the tomatoes in half; use
a teaspoon to scoop out the seeds,
then throw them away. Chop the
tomato flesh into chunks.
3 Heat the oil in a large saucepan,
then add the onion. Cover the pan
with a lid and cook, over low heat,
for 20 minutes, stirring the onion
every now and then.
4 Add the garlic to the pan; cook,
stirring, for 5 minutes. Add the
tomato flesh; cook, stirring, until
tomato softens. Bring to the boil.
Turn down the heat to low; simmer,
uncovered, stirring every now and
then, for about 1½ hours or until
mixture is the consistency of pasta
sauce. Add the basil; cook, stirring,
for 10 minutes. Season to taste.
5 Pour the sauce into plastic freezer
containers, leaving a 1−2cm space
above the sauce for expansion.
Cover, cool in the fridge, then freeze
for up to 6 months, or store in the
fridge for up to 5 days.