-TO LIBRAR

HOW Y
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OA
CHECKERB
COOL GARDEN TO TABLE

Co o l
A T O E S
T OM
from
to Ta b l e
G a r d e n To m a toe s
a nd P repa re
nt , G row,
Pl a
How to

Katherine
HENGEL
Katherine HENGEL

Co o l
A T O E S
TO M
from
to Ta b l e
G a r d e n To m a toes
a n d P repa re
nt , Grow,
Pl a
How to
 visit us at www.abdopublishing.com
Published by ABDO Publishing Company, a division of ABDO, P.O. Box 398166, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55439. Copyright
© 2012 by Abdo Consulting Group, Inc. International copyrights reserved in all countries. No part of this book may be
reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. Checkerboard Library™ is a trademark and logo of
ABDO Publishing Company.

Printed in the United States of America, North Mankato, Minnesota

102011
012012

Design and Production: Anders Hanson, Mighty Media, Inc.

Series Editor: Liz Salzmann
Photo Credits: Aaron DeYoe, Shutterstock. Photos on page 5 courtesy of  W. Atlee Burpee & Co.

The following manufacturers/names appearing in this book are trademarks: Argo®, Barilla®, Hellmann’s®, Heinz®, Market
Pantry®, Galbani®, Crystal Sugar®, Pyrex®, E-Z Foil®, Kitchen Aid®, Chefmate®

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hengel, Katherine.
Cool tomatoes from garden to table : how to plant, grow, and prepare tomatoes / Katherine Hengel.
p. cm. -- (Cool garden to table)
Includes index.
ISBN 978-1-61783-187-4
1. Tomatoes--Juvenile literature. 2. Cooking (Tomatoes)--Juvenile literature. I. Title.
SB349.H365 2012
635’.642--dc23
2011037819

Safety First!
Some recipes call for Sharp - You need to use a Hot - This recipe requires
activities or ingredients sharp knife or cutting tool handling hot objects. Always
that require caution. If for this recipe. use oven mitts when holding
you see these symbols, hot pans.
ask an adult for help!
CONTE NTS
Why Grow Your Own Food? 4
All About Tomatoes 5
Let’s Get Growing 6
Plant Your Seedling 7
Stages of Growth 8
Harvesting Tomatoes 10
Tomato Q & A 11
Cool Ingredients 12
Kitchen Tools 14
Cooking Terms 16
Pucker-Up Orange Salsa 18
Tasty Tomato Salad 20
Crispy Caprese Melt 22
Fresh Tomato Pasta 24
Brilliant Bruschetta 26
Tomato Pie in the Sky 28
Wrap It Up! 30
Glossary 31
Web Sites 31
Index 32
 W H Y GROW

YOUR OWN
FOOD?
B ecause then you get to eat it, of
course! You might not be the
biggest tomato fan in the world. But
have you ever had fresh tomatoes?
Straight from your very own garden?
If not, prepare to be surprised. Fresh
food tastes wonderful!
Plus, fresh food is really healthy. All
produce is good for you. But produce
that comes from your own garden is
the very best. Most folks do not use
chemicals in their home gardens. That
makes home gardens better for you and
the environment!
Growing your own food is rewarding.
All it takes is time, patience, soil, water,
and sunshine! This book will teach
you how to grow patio tomatoes. Once
they’re ready, you can use them in some
tasty recipes!

4
 ALL ABOUT
All About TOMATOES
TOMATOES
T here are more than 7,000 kinds of tomatoes. Each
looks, tastes, and grows differently. Most tomatoes
are red. But some are yellow, orange, purple, green, or
even white. They come in different shapes and sizes too.
Many tomatoes were created to grow well on patios.
The plants don’t get too big, but they produce a lot of
tomatoes!
Cherry tomatoes are a popular patio tomato. But the
recipes in this book work best with bigger tomatoes.
So pick your favorite mid-size patio tomato, and let’s
get started!

TYPES OF TOMATOES

CH ER RY BEEFSTEA K E AR LY GI R L B R AN DY WI N E RO MA
H EI R LO O M

5
 LET’S GET

GROWING
I n this book, you’ll learn how to grow tomatoes in a
container garden. With container gardens, you have more
control over things such as light and temperature. But keep
in mind that tomatoes grow differently in every climate.

When to Plant The Right Conditions

Go online to find Sunlight Pests and Weeds inside if

out the average Tomato plants need Be earth-friendly! it gets too hot.
date of the last six to eight hours of Soap and water
frost in your area. sunlight a day. sprays keep pests The Right Soil
away. White vinegar Fertile, well-
Plant your seedling
Temperature is a great weed draining soil is a
about one week
Tomatoes like killer. must! Also, make
after this date.
the daytime sure there is plenty
temperature to be Shade of nitrogen in the
between 70 and 80 Put your container soil when you plant
degrees. If it gets in a location that your seedling.
too cold, bring your gets some natural
tomato plants inside. shade. Or bring it

6
 P L A NT YO U R

SEEDLING
1 2 3

MATERIALS
NEEDED 11 Fill your container three- 3 You may need to stake
5 gallon quarters full of soil. Break your plant. Put the stake in
container with up the soil so it is loose. the soil near the seedling.
drainage holes
Make a hole in the center. Make sure the bottom of the
soil stake hits the bottom of the
2 Carefully remove the
tomato seedling
seedling from its container. container.
tomato stake
Set it in the hole. Arrange 4 Add mulch around the
mulch
the soil around the plant so seedling. Then water the
water it is supported. plant thoroughly.
trowel

7
STAGES OF
Watering Mulching
The trick is to water tomatoes heavily but not too Using mulch will
often. Let the soil dry out between each watering. lock in moisture. It
Always water your plants in the morning. Direct also keeps water and
the water at the base of the plant. Try not to get soil from splashing
the leaves wet. up onto the leaves.

ant
WATER yo ur pl
the soil is dry.
when
ge tt ing
Try to avoid
th e le av es.
wa te r on
y
FERTILIZE ever
at fi rs t.
10 days
ev er y tw o
Then
e
weeks while th
bl oo m in g.
plant is
Do n’ t fe rt ili ze
s
afte r tomatoe
to ap pe ar .
MULCH yo ur start
seed ling right
afte r planting
it.

8
GROWTH
WHAT
TO DO
&
WHEN TO
DO IT

Fertilizing Staking & Pruning

Tomato plants should be fertilized
every 10 days until they start
blooming. Feed them every two
weeks while they are blooming.
Stop fertilizing when tomatoes
start to form.
If you are growing a staked tomato, you will
need to tie it to the stake. Do this when
the plant starts to fall over. Remove lower
leaves when the plant is small. After that,
remove any new stems that start growing.
This helps the main stem grow better.

STAKE yo ur
pla nt
if it sta rts
to fall
over. Tie it
to the
sta ke wit h
st ring
or clot h.
the
T when
HARVES e a c h their
s r
toma toe a r e
r a nd
full colo t o u c h .
the
s oft to

9
HARVESTING
TO M ATO E S
1 2
1 Pick tomatoes when they reach their
full color and are soft to the touch.
2 Wash and dry the tomatoes. They’ll
keep at room temperature for about a
week. Store them in the refrigerator
if you’re not going to use them right
away. Or learn how to can them!
10
3
3 Tomatoes can’t ripen when the
temperature is below 60 degrees.
Bring the green tomatoes inside.
Store them in a brown paper bag.
The warmth in the bag will cause the
tomatoes to ripen.
 Tomato
Q&A
TION
S
SW ERS
QU E S & AN

How Long Will it Take? Why did my tomatoes split?

It depends on the sun, temperature, and Changes in the weather or water supply
type of tomato. Generally, seedlings need can cause cracks in the tomatoes. Cracks
60 to 90 days to grow ripe tomatoes. are like stretch marks. The tomato grew
too fast in too short of time.

Why are there black spots on my

leaves? Or on my tomatoes?
These spots can be caused by several
kinds of fungi and bacteria. Remove the
infected leaves. If there are spots on a
tomato, throw it away.
Why is there a big black spot around
the stem of my tomato?
This is caused by a lack of calcium. This
happens when it doesn’t get enough water.
Plants absorb calcium along with water
from the soil through their roots. If they
don’t get water, they can’t get calcium.

11
Cool Ingredients

9 -INCH U NCO O KED BAG U ETTE CO R N STAR CH F E T T U CCI N E

PI E S H EL L

FRES H BAS I L FR ES H CI LA NT RO GAR L IC C LOVE S GR AT E D CH E D DAR

CH E E S E

GREE N O NI O NS HONEY L E MO N J U IC E MAR J O R AM

12
 DID YOU KNOW?
Tomatoes are actually a fruit. But they are usually
cooked and eaten more like vegetables.

M AYO NNAIS E OLI VE OI L RED ONION O R AN G E J U IC E

PARM ESAN CH EES E R ED WI NE VI NEGAR R EG U L AR AN D SALT & PE PPE R

FR E S H MO ZZAR E L L A

SO U RDO U GH B R EA D S U GA R

13
Kitchen Tools

B AKI NG S H EET BA STI NG BRU S H B R E AD K N I F E C U T TI N G B OAR D

GRATER KITCH E N SCI S S ORS L ARG E PO T M E AS U R I N G C U PS

M E AS U RI NG S PO O NS M I XI NG BOWLS MI X I N G S PO O N OVE N MIT T S

14
 TOMATOES & SHARP KNIVES
Before slicing or chopping tomatoes, ask an adult to
sharpen the knife for you. It’s important to use a sharp
knife when cutting tomatoes.

PAPER TOWE LS PA STA S ERVE R PI E PAN PL ASTIC W R AP

PLATE P OT HOLDERS S H AR P K N I F E S PAT U L A

S PO O N ST R A I NER WHISK

15
Cooking Terms
Brush
Brush means to spread
a liquid on something
using a basting brush.

Arrange Chop
Arrange means to Chop means to cut into
place things in a small pieces.
certain order or
pattern.

Drain Drizzle
Drain means Drizzle means
to remove to slowly pour
liquid using a liquid over
a strainer or something.
colander.

16
Grate Spread
Grate means to shred Spread means to make
something into small a smooth layer with
pieces using a grater. a spoon, knife, or
spatula.

Slice
Slice means to cut food
into pieces of the same
thickness.

Toss
Whisk
Toss means
to turn Whisk means
ingredients to beat
over to coat quickly by
them with hand with
seasonings. a whisk or a
fork.

17
 E R - U P
PUCK
ge S al s a
Or an sa re ci pe good
-bye!

yo u r old sal
Kiss

PS
S 2½ CU
18 M A KE
 1

INGREDIENTS 1 Cut off the top and bottom of a

3 medium-sized tomato. Set the tomato on the
tomatoes cutting board. Place the tip of
½ medium-sized the knife in the center of the top
red onion
of the tomato and cut down. 2
¼ cup fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon 2 Gently pull the tomato open
orange juice and set it down on the cutting
1 teaspoon sugar board. Use the knife to cut away
1 teaspoon salt the insides of the tomato.
3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the
other tomatoes.
TOOLS
sharp knife 4 Chop the tomato skins and
4
cutting board red onion into small pieces.
measuring cups
Finely chop the cilantro. Put the
tomatoes, onions, and cilantro
medium mixing
bowl in a medium bowl.
measuring spoons 5 Add the orange juice, sugar, and
mixing spoon salt. Mix well. Cover the bowl
plastic wrap with plastic wrap. Chill the
salsa for 1 hour before serving.
5

19
 TASTY
to S al a d
To m a e s c o me tog
et he r for a re
f re s hi n g meal
!

tomat o
d
be
ue
Csh tistelean

ERV INGS
S 3 S
20 M A KE
 1

INGREDIENTS 1 Slice the large tomatoes.

1 pound assorted Leave the smaller tomatoes
tomatoes whole, or cut them in half.
6 to 7 slices fresh Arrange the tomato and
mozzarella cheese
cheese slices on a plate.
1 teaspoon salt
1½ tablespoon 2 Put the the salt, vinegar,
red wine vinegar and honey in a medium
½ teaspoon honey bowl. Whisk until the salt 2

¼ cup olive oil dissolves. Then whisk in

2 sprigs marjoram the olive oil. Drizzle the
5 to 7 fresh basil leaves
dressing over the tomatoes
and mozzarella.
3 Strip the marjoram leaves
TOOLS
from the stems. Add them
sharp knife
to the salad. Use kitchen
cutting board
scissors cut up the basil
kitchen scissors
leaves. Sprinkle the pieces
measuring spoons over the salad. Add salt to
medium mixing bowl taste. 3
whisk
measuring cups
plate
spoon

21
 C R I S PY

s e M e l t
Cap re s n o w a sandwi
ch!

o r it e salad i
v
Your fa

D WICH
1 SAN
22 M A KE S
 1

INGREDIENTS 1 Adjust an oven rack so it is

2 slices sourdough bread six inches from the top. Set
½ tablespoon olive oil the oven to broil. Brush one
6 fresh basil leaves side of a bread slice with
olive oil. Place it oil side 2
1 medium-sized tomato,
sliced ¼ inch thick down on a baking sheet.
1 ounce fresh 2 Arrange the basil leaves,
mozzarella cheese,
sliced ¼ inch thick tomato slices, and
salt and pepper mozzarella slices on the
bread. Sprinkle lightly with
salt and pepper.
TOOLS
cutting board 3 Put the other bread slice
on top. Brush it with olive 3
sharp knife
oil. Broil the sandwich for
measuring spoons
1 minute. Remove it from
basting brush
the oven. Turn the sandwich
baking sheet
over with a spatula.
oven mitts
4 Put it back in the oven. Broil
spatula
for 1 to 2 more minutes.
The bread should be golden
brown, and the cheese
4
should be slightly melted.
Slice the sandwich in half
and serve immediately.

23
 FRESH
to Pa s t a
Tom a tomato
es and
wa r m pasta!

t r a s t of cool
he co n
Enjoy t

INGS
SERV
S 4 TO 6
24 MAK E
 1

INGREDIENTS 11 Cook the fettuccine

1 pound fettuccine pasta according to the
4 to 6 tomatoes, instructions on the
chopped package.
5 tablespoons olive oil
2 Put the tomatoes, olive oil,
2 teaspoons lemon juice
lemon juice, and basil in
⅓ cup fresh basil, a large bowl. Add salt and
chopped
pepper to taste. Mix gently. 2
salt and pepper
½ cup grated 3 Drain the pasta when it
Parmesan cheese is done. Put it in the bowl
with the tomato mixture.
TOOLS Toss to mix. Sprinkle the
large pot
Parmesan cheese on top.
Serve immediately.
measuring spoons
measuring cups
cutting board
sharp knife
To Taste?
large mixing bowl
Sometimes a recipe says to 3
mixing spoon
add an ingredient “to taste.”
strainer That means you decide how
pasta server much to add! Start small. You
can always add more later. It’s
pot holders
harder to remove something
than it is to add more!

25
 L I A NT
BRIL

s c h e t t a
Br u s f y i n g appeti
z e r w i l l go fa
st!

ti
is si m ple, sa
Th

ECE S
S 12 PI
26 M A KE
 1

INGREDIENTS 1 Set the oven to broil. Brush both

12 baguette slices, sides of each piece of bread with
½ inch thick olive oil. Put the bread slices on
olive oil a baking sheet. Sprinkle them
salt lightly with salt. 2
3 to 4 medium tomatoes,
finely chopped 2 Mix the tomatoes, basil, and
2 teaspoons finely
2 tablespoons of olive oil in a
chopped fresh basil bowl. Add salt and pepper to
pepper taste. Set the bowl aside.
1 garlic clove, halved 3 Broil the bread for about 2
½ cup grated minutes. Turn the slices over.
mozzarella cheese
Broil for 2 more minutes. Watch
the bread carefully. It should 3
TOOLS be browned but still soft in the
cutting board center. Remove the bread from
bread knife the oven. Let it cool slightly. Rub
measuring cups
the halved garlic clove on each
slice.
basting brush
baking sheet 4 Put some of the tomato mixture
measuring spoons on each bread slice. Add some
mozzarella cheese to each piece.
mixing bowl 4
Put the baking sheet back in the
mixing spoon
oven for 1 minute. Then serve it
oven mitts
immediately.
sharp knife

27
 O M ATO
T
t h e S ky
Pie i n t o e s w ill d o!
fresh toma
a rden
Only g

IE
S 1 P
28 M A KE
 1

INGREDIENTS 1 Preheat the oven to 375

4 medium-sized degrees. Put the tomato slices
tomatoes, sliced on paper towels. Sprinkle
salt them with salt. Let them
9-inch uncooked stand 10 minutes.
pie shell 2
2 Put the uncooked pie shell in
½ cup plus
3 tablespoons grated a pie pan. Sprinkle it with 3
Parmesan cheese tablespoons Parmesan cheese.
½ cup chopped Arrange the tomatoes and
green onion
green onions in the pie shell.
¾ cup mayonnaise
1½ cups grated
3 Put the mayonnaise, cheddar
cheddar cheese cheese, ⅓ cup Parmesan
2 teaspoons cornstarch cheese, cornstarch, and basil
3
¼ cup chopped fresh in a medium mixing bowl.
basil leaves Add salt and pepper to taste.
pepper Mix well.
4 Gently place spoonfuls of the
TOOLS mayonnaise mixture on the
cutting board tomatoes. Carefully spread
sharp knife the mixture over the pie.
paper towels 5 Sprinkle the remaining
5
measuring cups Parmesan cheese over the top.
pie pan Bake for 30 to 40 minutes.
measuring spoons The pie crust and mayonnaise
medium mixing bowl mixture should be golden
mixing spoon
brown.
oven mitts
29
 WRAP IT UP!

Did you enjoy growing food from the

earth? Are you a gifted cook with fresh
ingredients? Fresh ingredients go a long way
toward making food taste great. Ask the best
chefs in the world. They’ll tell you! Fresh ingredients
are their secret ingredients!
By now you know that fresh food tastes great. Plus, it’s
good for the environment. Food from your garden doesn’t
require transportation or packaging. It isn’t covered in
harmful chemicals either!
So keep at it. Don’t lose that green thumb! Think
about your favorite foods. Can you grow them
yourself? Chances are, you can. Check out the
other books in this series. There may be
a book about growing and cooking
your favorite food!

30
 Glossary
A BS O RB – to soak up or nature and
E NVI RON M E NT – MU L CH –something, such
take in. everything in it, such as as straw or wood chips,
A DJU ST – to change
the land, sea, and air. spread over the ground to
something slightly. to add
FERTI LI Z E –
protect plants.

a soft, white
CAL CI U M –
something to the soil to a gas that is
N IT RO G E N –

element that most plants
and animals need to be
healthy.
make plants grow better. in all living things and
an organism,
FU NG U S –
makes up most of the
such as mold or mildew, earth’s atmosphere.

CONTAI NER –something that grows on rotting SAN D WICH – two pieces of

that other things can be plants. The plural of bread with a filling, such
put into. fungus is fungi. as meat, cheese, or peanut
to have a
I N FECT ED –
butter, between them.
the unit used to
DEGREE –
measure temperature. disease caused by bacteria S E E D L I N G – a young plant
or other germs. that grew from a seed.
to mix with a
DISS O LVE –
liquid so that it becomes the act
T R AN S PO RTATI O N –

part of the liquid. of moving people and

things.

Web Sites
To learn more about growing and cooking food, visit ABDO Publishing Company
on the World Wide Web at www.abdopublishing.com. Web sites about creative ways
for kids to grow and cook food are featured on our Book Links page. These links are
routinely monitored and updated to provide the most current information available.

31
 Index
A G S
Arranging, 16 Grating, 17 Salad, recipe for, 20–21
Growing food, reasons for, 4, 30 Salsa, recipe for, 18–19
Growth, stages of, 8–9 Sandwich, recipe for, 22–23
B Schedule, for planting/growing,
Bruschetta, recipe for, 26–27 6, 11
Brushing, 16 H Seedlings, planting, 7
Harvesting, of tomatoes, 10 Shade, as growing condition, 6
Healthiness, of homegrown food, 4
C Slicing, 17
Soil, as growing condition, 6
Caprese melt, recipe for, 22–23
Chopping, 16 I Snack foods, recipes for, 18–19,
26–27
Conditions, for planting/growing, Ingredients, for making recipes,
6, 11 12–13 Spreading, 17
Container gardening, 6 Staking and pruning, of plants, 9
Cooking terms, 16–17 Sunlight, as growing condition, 6
Cutting, knives for, 15 K
Kitchen tools, for making recipes,
14–15 T
D Knives, sharpness of, 15 Taste, of homegrown food, 4, 30
Temperature, as growing
Diseases, of tomatoes, 11
Draining, 16 condition, 6, 10
Drizzling, 16 M Tomato pasta, recipe for, 24–25
Mulching, of plants, 8 Tomato pie, 28–29
Tomato salad, recipe for, 20–21
E O Tossing, 17
Enjoyment, of growing food, 4, 30 Types, of tomatoes, 5
Environment, and homegrown Orange salsa, recipe for, 18–19
food, 4, 30
P W
Watering, of plants, 8, 11
F Pasta, recipe for, 24–25
Pests, as growing condition, 6
Weeds, as growing condition, 6
Fertilizing, of plants, 9 Whisking, 17
Fruit, tomatoes as, 13

32