Sauce – AGENTS OF FIELD

Vote Red? But the election’s over, politicians have stepped down and the country once again tumbles headlong into the blue abyss. Fear not, I haven’t whipped out the soapbox, grown my locks or adopted any Russell Brand bravado. No, the red I’m talking about is a great British favourite that always gets everyone’s vote: the tomato.

Every January, Sophie and I convince ourselves that we don’t need to grow as many tomatoes as the previous year; there are only two of us and a surplus means my lovely wife spending her summer evenings cooking them into various soups and sauces and then trying to force the sealed containers into an already packed freezer.

But no matter how much of an oath we take, every year we continue to grow far too many of these vitamin-packed beauties. So why break tradition? That’s why this year I’ve upped the stakes and am growing seven different varieties. As I type, I can see Soph’s already broken out into a cold sweat. However, as well as our usual favourites, Gardening Delight, Tumbling Toms, Moneymaker and Shirley, we’re trying some new varieties: Yellow Pear, Corazon and Fenda. With the polytunnel working wonders, we have the space and I can never resist trying something new.

So this weekend, I was split between both the allotment and the the garden as I potted up and planted out my tomato plants which I’ve nurtured since they were just tiny seeds, full of dreams and saucy potential.

I love everything tomato, the growing, the appearance, the smell and of course the eating. Again my poor wife steps in at this point and reminds me of the mess I tend to make on the handtowels from handling the tomato plants. Ahem.. moving on…

We’re all different, have different likes and dislikes, but there are still two things I can’t get my head around: people that don’t like tomatoes and television chefs that feel they have to be peeled and de-seeded before being cooked? I’m not judging, but they are clearly missing out on something wonderfully pure.