I wonder if anyone can/will connect the dots between U.S. President Donald Trump's disdain for migrants/farm workers and the fact that getting a real tomato is nigh on to impossible in this, the tomato, season.
Monsanto has taken over tomatoes. Tomatoes are now perfectly red and ripe and.... PHONY!
A real tomato is the kind of orb that was once boosted from a neighbor's yard, bitten into and then posed the problem of trying to figure out how to clean up the dribble-and-drooze that dripped down onto the white shirt I insisted on putting on this year ... again.
Monsanto or other likely suspects have created a thick-skinned-no-juiced thing that a migrant worker might have picked with delicacy, but a machine can pick quicker (thick skin). People actually buy this shit as if it were a "tomato." Yes, Virginia, big farma has caught you by the short hairs.
These days, real tomatoes are referred to as (of all fucking things) "heirlooms." Lumpy, bumpy, irregularly shaped and colored ... and drizzly. Lord, I used to love 'em. You treated them with care. The skin was as thin as the juice was juicy.
No doubt there's a link between Trump and the lousy tomatoes in my supermarket. Of all the D.C. scams and hi-jinx, tomatoes (in season) burn my torches most brightly.
Wish I had the savvy and energy to track it all down and find a box/basket for Donald Trump in his next lifetime.
Monsanto has taken over tomatoes. Tomatoes are now perfectly red and ripe and.... PHONY!
A real tomato is the kind of orb that was once boosted from a neighbor's yard, bitten into and then posed the problem of trying to figure out how to clean up the dribble-and-drooze that dripped down onto the white shirt I insisted on putting on this year ... again.
Monsanto or other likely suspects have created a thick-skinned-no-juiced thing that a migrant worker might have picked with delicacy, but a machine can pick quicker (thick skin). People actually buy this shit as if it were a "tomato." Yes, Virginia, big farma has caught you by the short hairs.
No doubt there's a link between Trump and the lousy tomatoes in my supermarket. Of all the D.C. scams and hi-jinx, tomatoes (in season) burn my torches most brightly.
Wish I had the savvy and energy to track it all down and find a box/basket for Donald Trump in his next lifetime.
Round here in Croatia, we had the most excellent Macedonian tomatoes. But now, as you say, it's not even the same thing any more. Sometimes I stumble on a good one though. Make tomatoes great again! A worthy cause.
ReplyDelete"In season" is the heart of the matter. Same for strawberries and corn on the cob. Ou sont les fruits d'antan?
ReplyDeleteI wonder how often its us who change and not the food.
ReplyDeleteAll too often we just complain about the corporate farming and Genetically Modified Farming instead of stop buying the crap sold at the supermarkets and buy at Specialty Stores, Farmers Markets and Road Side Stands.
There are even ways to get better produce online. I've looked into it but haven't shopped produce online.
In Google Type "heritage produce near me"
that should get you started.
But here's a problem: It becomes a Haves vs. Have Nots.
For argument's sake, let's set aside the matter of corporate greed, the corporate model does make food more affordable for everyone including lower income people.
The corporate model deals with shelf life, and to a lesser extent, appearance. Currently this comes at the expense of taste and texture.
I once had a discussion with a Yale professor of agriculture at a party. He actually seemed concerned about the problem you posted. He pointed out what I thought I knew — that you can get “Heritage” Produce, but it is at a premium. Evidently corporate farming is evolving.
From one perspective insisting that your supermarket carry the more expensive produce is kind of selfish.
I have a friend who has devoted ⅓ of her Condo’s Terrace to growing tomatoes and basil in large planter. Another planter is devoted to scallions.
I have neighbors growing some vegetables which they claim are better than what they buy at the store.
Until the Pandemic Shutdown a bunch of Koreans were running an old fashioned vegetable store a few blocks away. They addressed the tomato issue with three kinds of tomatoes Cheap, Not-So-Cheap and Very Expensive.
I got kick when I realized that not only could I get some better produce but better service as a regular Expensive Customer.