Cool Tomatoes from Garden to Table: How to Plant, Grow, and Prepare Tomatoes

34 Pages·2012·4.379 MB·English

by  Katherine Hengel

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Published by ABDO Publishing Company, a division of ABDO, P.O. Box 398166, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439. Copyright
© 2012 by Abdo Consulting Group, Inc. International copyrights reserved in all countries. No part of this book may be
reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Checkerboard Library™ is a trademark and logo of
ABDO Publishing Company.
Printed in the United States of America, North Mankato, Minnesota
102011
012012

Design and Production: Anders Hanson, Mighty Media, Inc.
Series Editor: Liz Salzmann
Photo Credits: Aaron DeYoe, Shutterstock. Photos on page 5 courtesy of  W. Atlee Burpee & Co.
The following manufacturers/names appearing in this book are trademarks: Argo®, Barilla®, Hellmann’s®, Heinz®, Market
Pantry®, Galbani®, Crystal Sugar®, Pyrex®, E-Z Foil®, Kitchen Aid®, Chefmate®
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hengel, Katherine.
Cool tomatoes from garden to table : how to plant, grow, and prepare tomatoes / Katherine Hengel.
p. cm. -- (Cool garden to table)
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-61783-187-4
1. Tomatoes--Juvenile literature. 2. Cooking (Tomatoes)--Juvenile literature. I. Title.
SB349.H365 2012
635’.642--dc23
2011037819
Safety First!
Some recipes call for Sharp - You need to use a Hot - This recipe requires
activities or ingredients sharp knife or cutting tool handling hot objects. Always
that require caution. If for this recipe. use oven mitts when holding
you see these symbols, hot pans.
ask an adult for help!
CO N T E N T S
Why Grow Your Own Food? 4
All About Tomatoes 5
Let’s Get Growing 6
Plant Your Seedling 7
Stages of Growth 8
Harvesting Tomatoes 10
Tomato Q & A 11
Cool Ingredients 12
Kitchen Tools 14
Cooking Terms 16
Pucker-Up Orange Salsa 18
Tasty Tomato Salad 20
Crispy Caprese Melt 22
Fresh Tomato Pasta 24
Brilliant Bruschetta 26
Tomato Pie in the Sky 28
Wrap It Up! 30
Glossary 31
Web Sites 31
Index 32
W H Y G R O W
YYOOUURR OOWWNN
FOOD?
FOOD?
Because then you get to eat it, of the very best. Most folks do not use
course! You might not be the chemicals in their home gardens. That
biggest tomato fan in the world. But makes home gardens better for you and
have you ever had fresh tomatoes? the environment!
Straight from your very own garden?
Growing your own food is rewarding.
If not, prepare to be surprised. Fresh
All it takes is time, patience, soil, water,
food tastes wonderful!
and sunshine! This book will teach
Plus, fresh food is really healthy. All you how to grow patio tomatoes. Once
produce is good for you. But produce they’re ready, you can use them in some
that comes from your own garden is tasty recipes!
4
A L L A B O U T
All About TOMATOES
T OM AT OES
T OM AT OES
There are more than 7,000 kinds of tomatoes. Each
looks, tastes, and grows differently. Most tomatoes
are red. But some are yellow, orange, purple, green, or
even white. They come in different shapes and sizes too.
Many tomatoes were created to grow well on patios.
The plants don’t get too big, but they produce a lot of
tomatoes!
Cherry tomatoes are a popular patio tomato. But the
recipes in this book work best with bigger tomatoes.
So pick your favorite mid-size patio tomato, and let’s
get started!
TYPES OF TOMATOES
CHERRY BEEFSTEAK EARLY GIRL BRANDYWINE ROMA
HEIRLOOM
5
L E T ’ S G E T
GROW ING
GROW ING
In this book, you’ll learn how to grow tomatoes in a
container garden. With container gardens, you have more
control over things such as light and temperature. But keep
in mind that tomatoes grow differently in every climate.
When to Plant The Right Conditions
Go online to find Sunlight Pests and Weeds inside if
out the average Tomato plants need Be earth-friendly! it gets too hot.
date of the last six to eight hours of Soap and water
frost in your area. sunlight a day. sprays keep pests The Right Soil
away. White vinegar Fertile, well-
Plant your seedling
Temperature is a great weed draining soil is a
about one week
Tomatoes like killer. must! Also, make
after this date.
the daytime sure there is plenty
temperature to be Shade of nitrogen in the
between 70 and 80 Put your container soil when you plant
degrees. If it gets in a location that your seedling.
too cold, bring your gets some natural
tomato plants inside. shade. Or bring it
6
P L A N T Y O U R
SEEDL ING
SEEDL ING
1 2 3
MATERIALS
NEEDED 11 Fill your container three- 33 You may need to stake

quarters full of soil. Break your plant. Put the stake in
5 gallon
container with up the soil so it is loose. the soil near the seedling.
drainage holes Make a hole in the center. Make sure the bottom of the
soil stake hits the bottom of the
22 Carefully remove the
tomato seedling container.
seedling from its container.
tomato stake
Set it in the hole. Arrange 4 Add mulch around the
mulch
the soil around the plant so seedling. Then water the
water it is supported. plant thoroughly.
trowel
7
STAGES OF
Watering Mulching
The trick is to water tomatoes heavily but not too Using mulch will
often. Let the soil dry out between each watering. lock in moisture. It
Always water your plants in the morning. Direct also keeps water and
the water at the base of the plant. Try not to get soil from splashing
the leaves wet. up onto the leaves.
WATER your plant
when the soil is dry.
Try to avoid getting
water on the leaves.
FERTILIZE every
10 days at first.
Then every two
weeks while the
plant is blooming.
Don’t fertilize
after tomatoes
MULCH your start to appear.
seedling right
after planting it.
8