Fresh Tomatoes....in November

When it reaches the time of year when the clouds start settling in and blanketing the sky, and the cold rains start to fall signalling the first snows of winter, I think you can understand me when I say that it simply feels weird picking tomatoes in November.

However weird, it's incredibly satisfying. After taking advice from numerous organic gardening books and from fellow gardeners I dug up my tomato plants in early October before the first frosts, and brought them inside to hang upside down from the doorknobs of our foyer closets to allow the plants the chance to ripen the tomatoes from green to red.

Let me just say that the sensation of harvesting tomatoes indoors is so bizarre. Crouching down on the tile floor, absent of the soil under your feet and the cool breeze around your ears, everything is really quite comfortable. No taking off muddy boots, no sniffly nose, and no forgetting to bring enough bowls outside to collect the harvest. I can't emphasise more the joys of harvesting tomatoes inside and in comfort. In addition, and most importantly, nearly all of my tomatoes aside from literally a few, have turned red. I just picked the last crop today and it's November 6th...and the cold November rains have definitely started. So excuse me if I do a little leap in the air in defiance of the cold weather and let out at a jolly "HA HA HA!"followed by the biggest smile, because I have the last little balls of summer sunshine in my hand just begging to be enjoyed!

Now I suppose it's time to come up with a great recipe to celebrate the last harvest. But I can honestly say that there is no recipe that is quite as satisfying as popping one of these sweet, simple, unadulterated tomatoes straight into your mouth and savouring the last products of the summer's sun.

Happy harvesting everyone!