#MicroblogMondays: Tomato time

After three weeks without seeing little Great-Nephew (now 9.5 months old!) :(  we got "the call" to come over on Saturday afternoon. His parents had to go out to run some errands, but his grandparents were already occupied "doing the tomatos" -- i.e., processing tomatos and canning them -- making jars & jars & jars of tomato sauce to replenish the shelves in their "cantina" (uninsulated/cold storage room in the basement). Hence, the call. 

(BIL said he was "calling in the B team," lol.  That's a remark that *could* be hurtful, depending on my frame of mind -- a reminder that we'll never be "the A team," right? -- but I know BIL didn't mean it that way -- and hey, sometimes it's a relief NOT to have "A team" responsibilities, right? ;)  ) 

Before he left, Older Nephew set up the high chair in the garage where BIL & SIL were working. I fed Great-Nephew part of his lunch there, flipped through a few books with him and then (when he started getting a bit restless) took him for a walk in his stroller, while dh walked the dog alongside of us. We were both relieved that he seemed perfectly happy to spend time with me & dh -- although obviously, Mom & Dad rule, and Nonno & Nonna come a close second, lol -- and the grandparents were right there if we really needed them (albeit obviously preoccupied with other things just then). 

Some background: Late August/early September is "tomato time" in the predominantly Italian community where we now live. The supermarkets hereabouts keep up the springtime garden centre structures in their parking lots and, at this time of year, the racks are filled with bushel baskets full of ripe, red Roma tomatos instead of plants and seedlings and bags of mulch. (Also grapes for wine making.)(I keep wanting to get a photo of this someday -- it's quite a sight -- although of course, I'm not at the supermarket much these days...!). Dh noticed a huge increase in the traffic going in & out of the supermarket parking lot the last time he went to get groceries & figures this is why...!  

When dh was a kid, the tomatos (softened first by stirring them together in a big tub/vat over heat) were fed through a grinder by hand (with everyone taking a turn at the crank). These days, many families (including BIL & SIL) have motorized machines that separate the seeds & skins from the pulp and juice and spits them out into big tubs. The finished product is poured into clean, sterilized jars (perhaps with a couple of basil leaves for flavouring), sealed and then heated in a vat of boiling water to create a vacuum seal.

"Doing the tomatos" is often a family affair -- grandparents, parents & kids/grandkids and sometimes aunts, uncles & cousins, all pitching in. Drive through any neighbourhood around here on any weekend at this time of year and you'll see them, gathered in the garage amid stacks of bushel baskets, with the machines whirring & the smells of tomato and basil wafting through the air. (It's usually done out in the garage or yard because it can make quite a mess -- bits of tomato were splattered everywhere!  BIL used the garden hose to wash down the cement garage floor & driveway once they were finished.) Dh was happy to help with Great-Nephew, of course, but otherwise has no desire to participate -- he says he got enough of it as a kid -- and of course, I'm allergic to tomatos anyway. :p  (No wonder I sometimes feel "othered" in this community, right?! -- I'm not a parent, not Italian and I can't even eat tomatos/sauce...!)   

Still, it was fun to finally watch how it's done (after 35 years of marriage!) -- and, of course, spend some quality time with the world's cutest little great-nephew. :)  

You can find more of this week's #MicroblogMondays posts here.