Everyone who knows me even somewhat closely has, in the last few years, had to listen to me gush about how much I love participating in a farm share program. In winter, I pay a sizeable (but reasonable for what I get) quantity of money to a local farm to help fund their seeds and such. Then, starting in spring, every week I drive 20 minutes to that farm and am handed a big box of whatever the heck they happen to be harvesting at the time.

Fresh, local produce rules. It’s encouraged me to expand my cooking repertoire and try new foods, and I generally think everything I get tastes noticeably better than out-of-season nonsense from the big grocery store. I’ve had some of the best apples of my life this way, learned and loved the humble pawpaw fruit, and developed a begrudging respect for most greens (I still can’t get onboard with kale).

Also, tomatoes. Tomatoes! Did you know homegrown (or, well, grown at a small farm 20 minutes from home) tomatoes are…delicious?

Now, I’ve disliked tomatoes for most of my life. Watery and bland on their own, or sometimes sour or mushy and unpleasant. I avoided them if at all possible. I’ve made my views on ketchup clear elsewhere. Pasta sauce is tolerable if made well, but fresh tomatoes? Get those right out of here.

Well, what I’ve discovered from this farm share is that when you eat tomatoes fresh and in-season within spitting distance of where they’ve been grown, they’re incredible.

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