Writing for life

The Australians are brilliant at coming up with slogans. They’re full of unambiguous one-liners that really cut to the chase.
Forget subtlety and nuance – Aussie ads tell it like it is. It’s not so much a case of caressing your sensibilities and appealing to your senses – more of slapping you around the face until you take notice. Years ago, before having the children, we lived in Sydney for a while. At the time the Aussies were running a drink driving awareness campaign; the slogan simply said “If you drink and drive, you’re a bloody idiot”.

This direct approach can be particularly effective – although the Australians are inclined to cross the line. For instance, when we were there the political opposition party’s slogan was “Keep the b*****ds honest” – a phrase referring, of course, to the right honourable members of the government.

While I’m not advocating that Irish organisations should necessarily emulate their Australian counterparts, there is something refreshingly honest about their approach. People see through all the “clever” advertising that’s rife today, they’re sick of it, and I think consumers would welcome a slightly more open and direct approach.

Direct, of course, doesn’t always mean accurate. For instance, another Aussie TV ad of the time proclaimed the banana as “nature’s wonder fruit”. It showed a smoothie maker being filled with an assortment of fruit, which then whizzed together only for a bright yellow banana to emerge from the other end. Simple, direct and effective… but not accurate.

Banana’s are great – but there’s a fruit much more worthy of the “wonder fruit” title.

The humble tomato is something that’s so ubiquitous we’re in danger of taking it for granted, and yet it’s packed with an array of amazing properties that make it a real super-food. For a start, the red skin colour comes from an amazingly powerful anti-oxidant called lycopene. Tomatoes are packed with it, and it does all sorts of good things. What’s more, lycopene absorption actually improves with cooking – so putting tomatoes into your sauces, soups and stews is not just tasty, it’s highly beneficial. The bright red wonder fruit is also high in vitamins A and C, and is packed with fibre – making it an all round winner in the nutrition stakes.

One of the best things about tomatoes is that, unlike bananas (unless you have a humongous greenhouse handy), you can grow your own right here in Ireland. I was reading recently that a pack of seeds costing roughly €3 will produce around 50 plants, which will yield a staggering 2,000 or so home-grown tomatoes. How’s that for value for money?

Growing tomatoes isn’t as difficult as you might think. You don’t need a greenhouse (although if you have one you’ll enjoy ripe fruit earlier). The seeds are easy to germinate in spring on any handy sunny windowsill – then transplanted outside when they’re strong enough. Just make sure you feed and water them regularly and hey presto: tomatoes!

It’s something the children love getting involved with too: they help to transplant the young plants, and throughout the season help with watering, feeding pruning duties. The highlight, of course, is collecting the luscious ripe fruit at the end of the summer.

There’s absolutely no comparison between home-grown tomatoes and the anaemic, watery excuse for the fruit that you pick up at the supermarket. The wonderfully intense, sweet flavour explodes in your mouth – they’re fantastic, raw or cooked. By far the best testament to the superior taste of home-grown tomatoes is the fact that the girls love eating them straight from the vine. When it comes to shop-bought tomatoes they’re indifferent at best.

So all hail the humble tomato – nature’s true wonder fruit!

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