Clearly, Looks Aren't Everything.

In fact, downright deceiving.

Bob loves his burgers. Complete with a bun, lettuce and the obligatory sliced tomato. Easy to prepare and tasty too. That is until one tastes a component on its own.

The humble tomato, a family favourite that has somewhat lost its allure, taste and trust. Growing up I can remember eating tomatoes like they were apples. Gosh, is there anything nicer than biting into a ripe and proper tomato? Of course that is now a distant memory and only to be exerienced again if we win the lotto or if we start to grow them again.

The tomatoes lurking invitingly and prettily on supermarket shelves might as well be hollow shells. Sure, they look fine, in fact downright dandy but once they are home and ready to be tasted, the disappointment grows with each and every bite. They taste like cardboard and one wonders if any of the goodness attributed to tomatoes still applies. 

The organic tomatoes are just so expensive that I only buy them now and again when they are on special and I have managed to forgo buying the normal tomatoes because I mostly regret it the minute I eat one. Now and again I try a packet ( even making sure they are grown either in Austria or not much further afield ) of tomatoes and could kick myself afterwards.

What makes these fruits so dreadfully tasteless? It can't just be because they are not organic or can it? I suspect that it has a lot do to with the dilapidated soils, soils that have been robbed of nutrients through decades of pesticide and fertilizer usage. Can't really blame nature for her bit of revenge.

My hope is that with the current shortage of fertilizers and co., the fields will revert to the times of the 1950's and 60's. Yes, of course there won't be vegetables available for us to eat whenever we feel like it but at least there will be a chance for the soils to heal themselves and thereby produce a base that infuses what it grows with an abundance of flavour.  Time to start treating food as the precious commodity it is and thereby learning to appreciate instead of wasting it...Here's hoping.

Biggi