Had our first two Early Girls on July 1--from seedlings put out first week in April. I try a few plants early every year but it seems to make very little difference in the end. Soil is heavy and wet with clay and we often have mucho marine layer in April and May. Stupice has lots of green turning red. Brandywine is just beginning to set (also planted April 1--go figure). We don't have warm nights so we are not having the same problems regarding pollination as farther south. Most of my tomatoes are planted at a community garden site because I don't have six hours of sun at the home garden. The community garden soil has verm. wilt and fus. wilt and every other tomatoe blight you can think of. Even planting less flavorful "resistant" varieties does not give one a gorgeous tomato plant. So the real trick is the weather. Sunny weather means we get tomatoes before the decline of the plants. Marine layer means the blight takes over and there is a much reduced yield, if any, before plants becomes just a stalk with no leaves. On a postive note, I planted a Juliet, SF Fog, and Marianna's Peace two weeks ago in the home garden at Soltice--and already have green tomatoes on the Juliet. Sun and heat make a big difference in not very sunny Santa Barbara! Wishing you many very red tomatoes in the near future, Kristine

Fruits of the lines like 'Splash of Cream' occasionally produce variegated fruits which are like the kind of striping seen here or on Green Zebra. With these (variegated striping) there is a white layer in addition to the two other forms of green (intensity of chlorophyll but referred to as "clear vs "yellow" skin) on their striped fruit. With these the white layer cannot be noticed once they ripen. It becomes "clear". ***** I think most folks will recognize Splash of Cream better by the name Variegated, or Variegata. It was renamed by someone in France and that was unfortunate, but is listed most places as Variegated. K, I was one of the first to grow Variegated and list it in the SSE Yearbook and while the variegation appears, best in cool weather, on the leaves and stems, I never saw striping on the fruits. When the immature fruits develop there's a darker green wedge shaped pattern of color at the stem end, but no striping, and they do ripen up red. Yes, the striping on Green Zebra is quite prominent as it is with several ofther varieties such as many varieties with Tiger as part of the name. K likes to misspell Opalka, so I won't go there,LOL, but the shape of what's being shown is not a typical roma shape based on the varieties I've grown out; rather I do think it's shape is similar to the many longer apste types I've grown, such as Opalka and Howard German and Sarnowski Polish PLum, etc. And yes, Opalka and many other longer, and even shorter paste types do have nipples at the blossom end and even certain weather conditions can cause the fruits of some other varieties to become slightly heart shaped and even develop nipples which is what I'm sure you're referring to at the end of your post. Carolyn, still waiting for Lazy to hopefully answer some of the questions I asked above. ( smile)

Carolyn, my Opalka seeds were sourced from Sandhill. I will admit, my first year growing Opalka BER became a problem for several varieties(but not all) of tomato that year. Lots of rain followed by drought, and then I think probably over watered to compensate. Last year I gave Opalka another shot. And while I didn't get any BER problems, the production, fruit size, and plant vigor just wasn't all that spectacular. As I said before, the taste, while not bad, was only a slight improvement over Roma(which I consider to be far more vigorous and productive). I know most here won't share my opinion, but I've found leaf problems are far less pronounced when growing hybrid tomatoes and varieties bred for resistance. I understand that all tomato varies are susceptible to one thing or another regardless of being OP or Hybrid, dictated by the grower, but more accurately, by the environment and soil- which is sometimes difficult if not impossible to control. Mulio, I am far from being an expert, but this "grower" has successfully grown and harvested many varieties of tomatoes over the last decade. I've made a few mistakes along the way, but it ain't my first rodeo. I mean, really, how hard is it to grow a tomato? Opalka just didn't pan out the way I hoped it would. Just because the majority likes it(and Carolyn recommends it) doesn't mean I have to. I know it's not a popular opinion and I'm ok with that. This year is a mostly hybrid centric crop, and the plants just look so much happier and healthier than before, and producing like mad. Pure luck? science? grower? There are a few heirlooms that I would probably grow again, but 1 or 2 varieties out of the few dozen I've tried is hardly worth it.

The traditional Shepherd's Pie is made with minced lamb. (Shepherds deal with sheep, remember?!) If it's made with another meat, then it becomes Cottage Pie. I like to top it with strips of mashed potato and mashed kumera (orange sweet potato). You can put slices of tomato underneath the spud if you want. It's a dish that's wide open to interpretation, but it's always GOOD! Shepherd's Pie This is the traditional recipe, designed to use up leftover cooked lamb and vegetables. Minced lamb or beef may be substituted. Finely chop, or process, a large amount of lean lamb, and mix in grated carrot, onion, celery, parsnip, mushrooms or other vegetables as available. Add a large spoonful of tomato paste, herbs and spices to taste, and a tablespoon or two of apple juice if liked. Place into a large, lidded saucepan, bring to the boil, then cover with enough water or stock to make a thick sauce consistency, and simmer, covered, until the vegetables have softened. Boil some potatoes or red sweet potatoes, drain and mash with an egg or two (depending on the quantity) and a little milk. When the meat is cooked, transfer it to a casserole dish, cover it with mashed potato, and sprinkle over some grated cheese. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.