Organic heirloom tomatoes, grown by a friend. The last we’ll see for a little while. Image: Su Leslie 2020
Day 1 (of the Aotearoa New Zealand Covid 19 lockdown)
I’ve baked bread, made herb salt (photos to come), watched seeds grow (truly — spinach germinates really quickly), and contemplated a bowl of tomatoes. Organically- grown heirloom varieties, they are the most delicious tomatoes I’ve ever tasted.
A simple salad; rocket, cucumber, red onion and a perfect tomato with homemade sourdough focaccia. Image: Su Leslie 2020
I’ve been quite happy to potter round home today; I have plenty to do, enough food and I am well. But however agreeable my “bubble”, I can’t ignore the fact that isolation for so many people isn’t an easy and comfortable experience.
I’m aware of small things I can do now, but the real work will come later when we have the chance to re-imagine as well as rebuild our businesses and communities, and indeed our society.
Because everyone deserves a bowl of the most delicious tomatoes they’ve ever tasted.
Zimmerbitch 
Thank you 🙂
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Yum! There’s a beautiful Donna Hay recipe that uses heirloom tomatoes but it is rare to see them in the city here so I only get to cook it around Christmas time. Enjoy!
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We only see them in the farmers’ markets. These came from our friend who has a tiny organic farm, and can no longer sell his produce. I wish I’d bought more now.
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Yes, they are delicious!
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Su–You have the prettiest dishes. I mean that literally: both the recipes you serve and the vessels you serve them in.
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Confession: I’m (more than) a little addicted to thrift store crockery shopping. I have been collecting pieces that I think look good in photos — as well as being nice to eat from.
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they look wonderful
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Your little salad looks delicious and I’m glad to hear it was.
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Thanks Susan 🙂
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Those tomatoes look so good Su. We are still eating the tomato preserves I made last year. They must be additive because we have them everyday.
Leslie
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They must be!
I wish I’d got more of the tomatoes now and made preserves. But hindsight is a wonderful thing.
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They’re getting us through this….
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I have an oversupply of plum preserves — savoury sauce and some jam. I baked bread yesterday so if the worse comes to the worst, I’ll go down eating bread and jam. 🙂
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Bread and jam sounds good to me Su….
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Yes please! Most delicious tomatoes ever tasted sounds wonderful!
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🙂 Come summer you can probably get heirloom variety seed and grow tomatoes in a pot. I guess your boy is probably a bit grown up to be that interested in gardening, but we started growing tomatoes when boy-child was very small so that he’d know that food comes from the ground, not the supermarket.
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That is a great idea. Our boy used to love gardening. His daycare had a small vegetable patch and his carers would tell me he would go there often to tend the plants. He still does likes gardening I think. I’ll ask if he wants to grow some tomatoes.
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🙂 the ability to grow food is wonderfully empowering.
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Perfect! We of course are not yet in tomato season here.
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Something to look forward to definitely. I suspect these may be the last truly good tomatoes I have this season.
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I’m just going to reach across and pinch one 🙂 🙂
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You’d be welcome — but only one until I can get some more 🙂
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Promise 🙂 🙂
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Of course!
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Thank you for sharing Su, that salad looks delicious and I’m sure does taste as good as it looks.
LOTS of ads popping up all over your site this morning and I couldn’t put a like on without signing in, and I’ve forgotten my password.☹️. But I could comment…
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Thank you. That’s interesting about the ads. I may have to pay up and get rid of them.
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This is from Pauline don’t know why it is anonymous….🙄
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Aren’t you a good girl for having a healthy lunch 🙂 As long as we have a fresh supply I am happy. Luckily all those years of being a poor downtrodden youngster living in flats gave me the ability to make meals out of a few ingredients if need be. I am also pleased that I enjoy baking and cooking! I wish the damned supermarkets would still have specials and make available the flour once again!! So we can make our own bread. I was a bit late in stocking up on the flour.
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We must have had a similar youth Suzanne. I’m pretty adept at making something out of not very much too.
I buy locally grown and milled flour in bulk and was really lucky – I’d ordered some just before all panic-buying started, so I won’t run out for a while. Not so sure about other things, but since I make sourdough we’ll survive as long as the flour and fresh water last.
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Don’t know what went on earlier today Su. I see I have been called anonymous in the above comment. I had all sorts of problems this morning with WordPress but now seems ok and all those ads have disappeared
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Ah. I wondered who “Someone” was. How peculiar!
Glad you are back in business with WP
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Very strange but all back to normal now, and your ads have disappeared 👍
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oh those look sooooo good 🙂
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They are. Now I want to grow some next season!
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Just so lovely! And it’s good to hear, that you can keep yourself busy. 😀 I suspect many people are struggling with that. I admit that my bursts of energy are lessening a bit, and I find myself in the bed with a book or my phone most of the time… Your tomatoes look so delicious – well worth the waiting!
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I know what you mean; I made a list of things I would do and each day I feel a bit less inclined to do them.
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Same thing here – my lists are getting shorter but it doesn’t really help! 😂 At least I’ve started my new drawing for Film Friday – and felt ridiculously proud because of that. 😉
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👍👍
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So beautiful these tomatoes. And you have given voice to what I believe many of us are mulling over – the challenge of rebuilding
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For me to remain positive through this, I have to believe that we can see this pandemic as an opportunity to repair some of the damage we have done to the planet, our communities and ourselves.
That we can adapt so quickly when necessary gives me some hope.
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Hear hear!
We have had many conversations about how we think the world might look like after all this – we are praying towards & hoping for positive & lasting change!
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We’re the same 😀
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nice
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wow! these tomatoes look amazing. We don’t t get these in here. I loved your recipe so will try with the one of the kind I get here!
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