MonoMonday: Food - No Feed for them..........

........... would mean no food for me!! - ( though I don't think I'll try their food! - see bottle in the pot!)

My son-in-law presented me with two tomato plants on our return from holiday and so far they are doing quite well as you can see.

My BOUI for today are, of course, regarding Tomatoes:

1) Did you know that tomatoes do not have to be a deep red color to be an outstanding source of lycopene? Lycopene is a carotenoid pigment that has long been associated with the deep red color of many tomatoes.

2) Intake of tomatoes has long been linked to heart health. Fresh tomatoes and tomato extracts have been shown to help lower total cholesterol.

3) Although tomatoes are often closely associated with Italian cuisine, they are actually originally native to the western side of South America, in the region occupied by Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile, and the western half of Bolivia. The Galapagos Islands off the coast of Ecuador are also believed to be part of tomatoes' native area.

4) The first type of tomato grown is thought to have more resembled the smaller-sized cherry tomato than the larger varieties.

5) Today tomatoes are enjoyed worldwide—to the tune of about 130 million tons per year. The largest tomato-producing country is China (with approximately 34 million tons of production), followed by the United States, Turkey, India, and Italy.

5) Tomatoes are one of the vegetables in the nightshade (Solanaceae) family, which includes eggplant, bell peppers, and potatoes (although not sweet potatoes and yams). Anecdotal case histories link improvement in arthritis symptoms with removal of these foods; however, no case-controlled scientific studies confirm these observations.

6) To hasten the ripening process, place them in a paper bag with a banana or apple since the ethylene gas that these fruits emit will help speed up the tomato's maturation. If the tomatoes begin to become overripe, but you are not yet ready to eat them, place them in the refrigerator (if possible, in the butter compartment which is a warmer area).

A sunny but very windy day - only one short shower so far. Temperature at a pleasant 70 Deg.F at 5pm.

Hope you are having a good day.