Think of a tomato. Round, bulbous, straining the vine with its weight. Red as lipstick and fire engines. Testing the limits of its thin skin, sun-baked juices threatening to bust the membrane, taut with readiness. Yeah, we don’t have those in Minnesota.

Well, rather, we do, but harvest season starts in mid-July and ends in September. Blink, and you’ll miss it. I’ve often missed the entirety of Minnesota tomato season thanks to a late summer vacation or other minor distraction. It’s not an overstatement to say that Minnesotans fantasize about tomatoes.