Manlove chat at Literary Nymphs today

Join us on July 4 ( you know you want to!! ) for a ManLove "Day at the Beach". We've set this up to be very informal - the following authors will be dropping in throughout the day , chatting and posting HOT, HOT excerpts:
Michael Barnette, Sharon Bidwell, James Buchanan, Anne Cain, Matthew Haldeman-Time, Jules Jones, Shayla Kersten, Rowan McBride, Jet Mykles, Barbara Sheridan and Stephanie Vaughan.

When? July 4, 2007 starting @ 10:00 Eastern

Where? http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LiteraryNymphsChat/

Why? Cuz it's gonna be hotter than a firecracker! *groan*

more tomato smugness

Harvested the first Mamma Mia plum tomato late last week -- 63g, and they are on the small side compared with plum tomatoes I've grown before. But good solid flesh, and a nice flavour both raw and cooked. A couple more are ripening now. I should stake the plant, as it's getting big enough to need it.

The mystery tomato started ripening some fruit over the weekend, and turned out to be something yellowish-orange. Just picked the first one, and it weighs in at 103g. I think it was slightly underripe as it was reluctant to part from the stem even though it's been a fairly solid ripe colour for three days or so. Not much scent. Very meaty when cut open. Raw flavour is fairly mild, definitely tomato but not that strong, and no acid.

Just picked the second fruit on the Patio Dwarf, and several more are ripening. 60g, Light scent but stronger than the mystery tomato, mild tomato flavour with slight acid.

The Siberia started ripening some fruit yesterday, but has a few days to go before I can pick something.

Also had the first two sunflowers start opening bud yesterday. I think the first corn is ready to eat, but there has been marital disharmony on this topic, so they remain on the plant for now.

The two tomatoes picked before dinner became part of dinner. I cut up some applewood smoked streaky bacon, fried it for a few minutes, then added the diced tomatoes and fried them gently for a few more minutes while the pasta was cooking. The mystery tomato held its shape well, but still picked up flavour from the bacon fat. The Patio Dwarf was a little mushier. Both had a good cooked flavour after frying, and held their colour well. I wish I knew what the mystery tomato was, because I'd like to grow it again next year. I think it's probably going to be a good barbecue tomato.

NB: when did rich text become compulsory, and can I turn it off? I do not like it...