Salmonella and a reason for low-tech engineering
OK, now that I have the catchy title, can I write a good story? I haven't been paying attention to the salmonella/tomato problem, but yesterday I overheard a hairdresser having a conversation with her client about it, and joined in. That's one of the great things about my job. Talking to other clients and stylists really fosters a sense of 'home' in the salon. Unless you're having a conversation with your client about something private and realize you've been talking too loud. But, it turns out the client talking about the tomatoes works for the FDA and had a lot of interesting things to say, mainly: they have no idea where it's coming from. I told her I'd been lamenting the fact that I wouldn't be able to make my tomato pie, and she informed me that cooked tomatoes are fine. Yeah! But cooked to what temperature? I'll have to find out. But, I digress, which I do a lot.

Remember the fence I built to keep the squirrels out of my potted tomato plants?

I built it to try to keep this guy...

From doing this to my tomatoes:



I was really proud of my skills in building that tomato fence. My forearms bear the scars of the chicken-wire scratches. Then this happened:


The tomato flowers started growing through the top of my not-tall-enough cage. I really remembered this variety being short and squat. Not! So, back to work. The cage isn't looking quite as spiffy as it used to, but it's over 2 feet higher now. And you know what? The head squirrel is probably laughing it's head off, 'cause his plan to steal my tomatoes has long been in place, and he's just biding his time.


I hope I grow enough tomatoes to justify all the effort I put into the fence. If it works, I'll store it in my basement over the winter and reuse it every year. Oh wait, how will I get it through the door? I guess I'll be storing it under my deck. Maybe I could leave a small opening and it could be a squirrel trap? No, that would be cruel.

Here's my recipe for Tomato Pie. I first had it in the South Carolina 'lowcountry', and its become a family favorite. There's many variations of this on the internet.

Preheat oven and baking sheet to 350*

1 (9") deep dish pie shell (I use frozen)
5 large tomatoes, peeled, sliced and squeezed to get seeds out
1/2 small onion, chopped (I cook it in the microwave for a few minutes)
3 t dried basil or 1/4 c fresh, chopped (I only use fresh)
salt and pepper
3/4 c mayonnaise
1 1/4 c grated cheddar cheese

Mix tomatoes, basil, onion, s&p in a bowl. If it seems too liquid-y, drain it. Place in bottom of pie shell. Mix mayo and cheese and spread over tomato mixture. Bake on cookie sheet at 350* for 35 minutes or till golden brown and bubbly. The bottom crust is always soggy, and I haven't figured out how to fix that, but it doesn't take away from the deliciousness of the pie.

Anyway, I really didn't mean to write such a long post. Well, there's really not too much writing---the pictures take up a lot of space. Yesterday was another day in the heatwave zone, ending with a thunderstorm with lots of rain. Thank goodness for the rain. I came out to my porch this morning with my laptop, ready to go back in and grab my fan, when much to my surprise, I felt an actual cool breeze. It's only 72 degrees right now, the sky is bright blue, and it's beautiful outside. It's going to be in the upper 80's instead of the upper 90's for the rest of the week. That said, I'm getting on my walking shoes and putting in my time. I switched days off this week, and I'm so glad!