A Terrific Gardening Show
On Earth Day (April 22, 2026), American comedian Zach Galifianakis was on a mission to teach children and adults alike something about gardening. That day, his six-part series “This is a Gardening Show” aired on Netflix. If you plan to plant tomatoes this month, his episode on the subject is a must. After trying for five years to grow tomatoes in pots here in the Sierra Foothills, I now know that I’ve been doing it all wrong. Thanks to two master gardeners who Zach interviews in Episode Two of his gardening show, I may finally get it right.
Tomatoes are terrific and, yes friends, they are a fruit (because they have seeds). They come in a variety of colors— red, yellow, orange, black varieties, pink, purple and green—mostly with seeds but not always. They can be big, fat, cherry sized, oblong, bulbous, or perfectly round. When ripe, they are filled with sweet juice that squirts you and anyone nearby if bitten into like an apple. But, oh my, it’s impossible not to throw caution to the wind even when wearing white and eat them right off the vine.
I love tomatoes, no matter how you slice them. Sliced and arranged in a salad with mozzarella cheese, basil and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil; sautéed with garlic in simple pasta sauces; diced or puréed in soups of all kinds; sliced thick and added to a burger; or in a mystery cake that dates back to my childhood. And sliced while still firm and green, tomatoes are a delicious summer treat, dipped first in an egg batter, then coated with panko and fried in butter.
One of Kit’s favorite foods is ketchup, squirted on a cheese burger or as a side with a grilled cheese sandwich and a cup of creamy tomato soup. Which takes me back to Zach Galifianakis who also loves ketchup. His Netflix series “This is a Gardening Show,” is filmed in British Columbia where he lives with his family and has a serious garden. In each episode, he includes one-on-one conversations with little kids at a local schoolyard garden. Their answers to his questions about apples, tomatoes, and corn are laugh-out-loud funny.
But the comedian has a serious mission. During each episode of his gardening show, he reminds viewers, “The future is agrarian.” So it’s up to us to teach kids to recognize the food they eat, dig in dirt, plant vegetables, and prepare what they harvest. As he sees it, today’s children must be inspired to make our world a healthier place, one garden at a time.
And now, for you readers who may wonder about the mystery ingredient in that cake from my childhood, here’s the recipe. It includes a can of tomato soup! Even kids who think they hate tomatoes will love it!
