My tomato plants in patio containers have been growing well so far! I have been keeping them watered, and the hot sunshine is shaded by the house by around 2pm. My Early Girls have already bloomed fruit, and my Purple Cherokee has also bloomed. I am recycling water back into my plants that has collected in the drainage pans. I read somewhere that this water has nutrients that have drained through the soil.

Since our tomato plants aren’t actually fruiting yet, we recently purchased some lovely tomatoes at the farmer’s market. I remembered this recipe for oven dried tomatoes that my friend Jeri gave to me.

Prepare these in advance, even days ahead, but be sure to serve them at room temperature, on a salad or just eat them! Slow roasting or sun drying tomatoes brings out the sugary sweetness.

So easy:
TIME: 3 hours

a dozen vine-ripened tomatoes, cut in half horizontally
2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat the oven to 275ºF.

In a small roasting pan, toss the tomatoes with the olive oil. Roast the tomatoes, seed-side up, for three hours.

Tomato plants growing in containers

May in California: I have had to water my tomatoes about every other day depending on how hot it is outside. I water until there is about an inch overflow into plastic tray under the pot. I also use a watering can, not the hose. Keeping the hose on during watering wastes water!