August is waning, but it does still feel like summer. Tomatoes continue for now, with the paste varieties starting to peak. We normally reserve these tomatoes for bulk sale to the canners among us. This year they will end up in the share.

We grow a mix of paste tomatoes. Some are bush-type hybrids that we grow in tomato cages. They look like the ones you see in the grocery. The remainder are open-pollinated varieties that come from both purchased and saved seeds. The ruffled paste tomatoes even come in a variety of colors-pink, brown, and red. There are plum-shaped ones called speckled Roman, and a pear-shaped one called a pear tomato.

These tomatoes are best cooked. One trick to keep your sauce thick and to keep the juice from separating out is to always put your cut tomatoes into a hot pot. Work with a small amount at a time and keep the sauce well mixed. These tomatoes are meaty and great in sauce making.

On Friday I leave for a short trip to Indianapolis to be part of a medal presentation for my WWII veteran father Frank “Rocky” Ruggieri. He served in a naval group called “Scout and Raiders”, the pre-cursor to the Navy SEALS. Part of his duty landed him in China as one of 2,500 Americans participating in SACO (the Sino-American Cooperative Organization).

His job was reconnaissance and helping the Chinese government fight the Japanese. This government later fled to Taiwan when the communists took control. The medal our family will receive will be presented by the Taiwanese government. A once in a lifetime opportunity.

My dad on the right, about 24 years old.