What a difference a day makes!

First tomato seedlings peak out of the soil.

Day 2 after first exposure to light.  Photosynthesis at work

Each day I anxiously check to see if we have any tomato seedlings which have sprouted, and nothing yet.  As I wait I try to convince myself that I didn't plant them too deep, be patient they will come and the delightful day arrives....the first tomato plants of the season.  The joy is that not only did one seed emerge but many of the seeds have sprouted.  The photos also show the difference light makes.  Tomatoes germinate best in darkened conditions but the leaves come out a pale yellow.  Just a day of light and they turn to a bright green.  Before long the first true leaves will emerge and it will be time to transplant to a new, larger size.  Keep checking to see them progress from these two small leaves to the wonderful luscious tomatoes of summer.

Pasta this Weekend - New Choices!

R&B Farms and the other North Grand Farmers' Market vendors will be in mall this weekend, April 2 and 3.  We will have plenty of yummy choices!  Here's the list for this weekend so you have plenty of time to plan your upcoming menus!

•Spicy Red Hot Thai Curry Orzo

•Asian Blend Orzo

•Supreme Orzo

•Lemon Garlic Orzo

•Extreme  Habanero Radiatore

•Whole Wheat Chipotle Lime Mafaldine

•Lemon Parsley Mafaldine

•Basil Garlic Penne

•Tomato Basil Penne

•Southwestern Pasta Blend

•Italian Pesto Blend

•Herb Blend Trumpets

•Garlic Chive Seashells

•Mild Spice Red Pepper Fettuccine

•Four Peppercorn Fettuccine

•Lemon Basil Fettuccine

•Spinach Lemon Herb Fettuccine

•Garlic Parsley Fettuccine

•Sun-Dried Tomato Fettuccine

•Whole Wheat Garlic  Fettuccine

•Roasted Garlic Fettuccine

•Spinach Garlic Fettuccine

•Roasted Garlic Herb Fettuccine

•Spinach Lemon Herb Fettuccine

•Chipotle Pepper Fettuccine

•Jalapeno Pepper Fettuccine

• Chipotle Black Bean Tagliatelle

• Dark Chocolate Linguine

• Lemon Pepper Linguine

•Lime Cilantro Linguine

•Orange Szechuan Linguine

•Porcini Mushroom Linguine

•Rosemary Garlic Linguine

•Sweet  Red Onion Linguine

•Venetian Calamari Linguine

•Whole Wheat Herb Trenette

•Sweet Basil Trenette

•Sweet Potato Pappardelle

•Garlic Chive Pappardelle

•Whole Wheat Toasted Onion Pappardelle

•Yellow Bell Pepper Pappardelle

•Plain (No egg) Pappardelle

•Roasted Red Pepper Lasagna

•Spinach Garlic Lasagna

•Peppercorn Trio Lasagna 

Tomato seeds nestled in

Today we started two flats of tomato seedlings - that's 144 seeds comprised of 22 different varieties.  Tomorrow we'll finish with the other 10 varieties and another 72 seeds.  With each seed, I recalled the wonderful flavors of summer tomatoes, the sweetness of the salad tomatoes.  The treat of growing so many is that I can enjoy them at their best -- right off the plant as they are picked for market.  Any slight imperfections and they become a delicious snack and I'm pretty picky, so I enjoy quite a few.  This year's salad varieties include a few new ones, including Red Pear to go with our Yellow Pear.  The other benefit of fresh tomatoes are yummy combinations for salsa and other tex-mex favorites.  We can't wait til the flavors of summer and opportunities for a taco bar like the one shown here.