Tomato time

I tried something new with my tomatoes this year, an idea I stole from the commercial farmers. Instead of cages, I ran a line of twine from a brace at the base of my beds to the frame 5 feet above the bed, and trained each plant up one string. I pinched out side suckers and left flower clusters. It was a huge success, but try as I might I can't get a photo that shows the system off. One string did break while supporting a huge load of fruit, so next year I will use a braid of twine instead of one string. Netting over the entire bed, using the same frame, keeps the birds off the tomatoes.

The basil produced another flush as well, most of which I puréed with olive oil and froze in ice cube trays. Some, however, combined with the tomato crop and some cheese for a yummy lunch tower, drizzled with good olive oil.