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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

if you make a salad with tomatoes they must be vine ripened

100 replies

mshanj · 20/11/2014 12:06

Just poped round a friends for brunch, yum I thought when she had made a salad.

I don't want to sound ungrateful but the tomatoes were just basically red cold tasteless mush. Aibu to think there is no point of a Greek salad without decent tomatoes?

OP posts:
formerbabe · 20/11/2014 12:09

Congrats op! You have won the award for the most middle class post ever!

NotTodaySatan · 20/11/2014 12:10

YANBU.

Why make anything unless you're going to use good ingredients?

I went to a friend's house for dinner once and was giddy about the prospect of lasagne. The reality was a one layer effort with tiny amounts of watery mince in what was clearly cheap tinned tomatoes and a bucket full of dry herbs.

Bleurgh.

smokinggnu · 20/11/2014 12:11

You do sound ungrateful. It was food, made by someone who considers you a friend (for now). I don't think a review is necessary. Do let her know you're too fussy an eater for social visits with food so she doesn't waste any of her valuable time making food for you again.

Blueteas · 20/11/2014 12:11

Just 'poped round' does fill the mind's eye with a vision of you rocking up in a mitre and crozier and turning up your nose at inferior tomatoes.

(Tbh, I'm not that impressed with any tomatoes you can buy this time of year in this country, vine-ripened or not. I would probably slow-roast them or something if I were putting them in a salad.)

shoofly · 20/11/2014 12:11

It's mid November. The only way tomatoes are decent is when they are in season.

PlumpingUpPartridge · 20/11/2014 12:11

Congrats op! You have won the award for the most middle class post ever!

Grin

I can't stand salad if it doesn't have buckwheat and quinoa added in.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 20/11/2014 12:14

Sorry, is this TripAdvisor? I was looking for MumsNet...

RichTeas · 20/11/2014 12:17

There are so many tasteless tomatoes out there, but I don't think they necessarily have to be on the vine. The baby plum tomatoes are very nice all year round.

mshanj · 20/11/2014 12:17

It maybe Nov but there are plenty of heated green houses!

These are pretty nice www.sainsburys.co.uk/shop/gb/groceries/sainsburys-midi-plum-sundream-tomatoes--taste-the-difference-225g

OP posts:
Latara · 20/11/2014 12:18

The only tomatoes I like in this country are baby plum tomatoes, they taste delicious.

I enjoyed proper Greek tomatoes when I was in Greece in July - they weren't vine ripened, they were huge tomatoes really cheap from the supermarket and they actually tasted of tomato.

However I don't think you should be ungrateful about a meal your friend went to the effort of making.

fortifiedwithtea · 20/11/2014 12:22

YANBU.

My guinea pigs would agree with you, they are very entitled Wink

ArcheryAnnie · 20/11/2014 12:23

If you have cheap tomatoes, then slicing them with salt, pepper and a bit of vinegar and leaving them for a few hours at room temp is one way to make them tastier.

(But getting sniffy at a meal a friend made you isn't really on.)

mshanj · 20/11/2014 12:23

I'm not being ungrateful to her, I ate it all (through gritted teeth)!

I tried my best to say how nice it was. Blatantly ignoring the tasteless tomatoes and the generic pitted black olives.

OP posts:
formerbabe · 20/11/2014 12:25

generic pitted black olives

Oh it just gets better and better!!

CorporateRockWhore · 20/11/2014 12:28

Oh, you ate it through gritted teeth. And there was me thinking you sounded like a bitchy snob!

RinseyMinceySpider · 20/11/2014 12:28

All tomatoes are vine ripened.

Lilymaid · 20/11/2014 12:29

"generic pitted black olives"
Oh my!

ChippingInAutumnLover · 20/11/2014 12:30

I really do hope she's an MNer and see's you for the ;sandwich; you are.

NetballHoop · 20/11/2014 12:30

Please tell me the Feta was organic? I don't think I'd survive if it wasn't.

mshanj · 20/11/2014 12:30

I probably am a bit snobby with food. It is my one luxury. You may mock me but there is a world of difference between cheap pitted black olives and some good kamalarta olives, the purple ones.

OP posts:
JustAShopGirl · 20/11/2014 12:31

How horribly ghastly for you..... Hmm

DuchessDisaster · 20/11/2014 12:31

It is November. Tomatoes are not in season in November. Anything tomato-approximate is going to taste like wet cotton-wool.
However, I agree that if you are making a salad with tomatoes they should be plump, sweet and juicy.
At this time of year there are other vegetables that are equally able to me made into delicious salads and are in season.

JustAShopGirl · 20/11/2014 12:31

I presume you mean Kalamata

CorporateRockWhore · 20/11/2014 12:32

It's Kalamata, but there you go. A real food snob would know that. Someone who just likes to snipe about their friends behind their back? Not so much.

hellsbellsmelons · 20/11/2014 12:33

All tomatoes are vine ripened
^^^ THIS!!

Those ones you buy in the shops still on the vines are forced to grow and ripen at the same time.
Most vines do NOT grow tomatoes like this.
They should be picked off as and when ready, not forced.

Beefsteak tomatoes - Now we're talking and I agree with PP who said baby plum tomatoes. Yummy!

This has made me LOL though.

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