Twenty tomatoes fresh from the garden
wanting to become something, like purée.
She had to go do something for her elderly Mom,
And left them, sitting there, alone, with me.
I first lined them up like soldiers and gave them a bath.
Then, in this big pan I found, I boiled some water.
I submersed each one for a minute or so.
And with my knife, I skinned them without thought or bother.
Cut them into smaller chunks in a big saucepan.
Turned the heat on low and let them simmer until
An hour had passed and they became real mushy.
Then they went through our hand crank food mill.
Now, my saucepan was full of wonderful thin purée.
More simmer to thicken, an hour, I think it took me.
Then cool, package, freeze and clean up the waste
The packages of purée now wanted to be tomato paste.