Dimensions
158 x 199 x 24mm
Tomatoes, as well as a favourite in the kitchen, are also a joy to grow. Indeed, today, more people than ever are opting to grow their own. The Tomato Book is a sure-fire guide that tells today's tomato enthusiasts everything they need to know - which species to grow, when to sow, how to nurture the plant, and how best to enjoy your harvest.
The book starts with a visual directory that identifies over 160 of the most popular tomato species from across the globe - including the Tigerella in the UK, Germany's favourite, the Green Giant, and the Tommy Toe in North America. With the internet making it easy to source foreign seeds, budding tomato growers are now more adventurous with the varieties they choose to grow - these spreads identify all the international favourites. Each variety is illustrated with a colour photograph of the tomato.
The prospect of a glut of perfectly ripe tomatoes in the summer is exciting, but an outbreak of disease can be devastating. Expert gardening advice on how to grow tomato plants successfully is close to hand in the next chapter. It tells you how to care for your plants, whether you're growing in the ground, in pots or growbags, hanging baskets or a greenhouse. If you suspect your plants may be suffering from a disease, symptom charts will help you identify it and recommend the steps to recovery. The author recognises that most gardeners want to avoid using chemicals and so advocates organic gardening methods and suggests safe chemicals to use where necessary. The last section of the book - a selection of 35 tomato recipes - shows you how to use your harvest to create a range of delicious international dishes, from Mexican salsas to American ketchups, English chutneys to French tarts, and Italian pizzas to Indian curries. Key spreads identify which species of tomato are best used for which types of dishes. Cherry, Beefsteak, Plum, Marmande, Oxheart... the tomato family is vast. With this book, you'll have the skills to grow and feast on however many of its members you wish.
