Kira lives for tomatoes: gardening for beginners and the science behind flavor.

[upbeat music] This is Serious Gardener podcast.

I'm Anna.

I'm an entomologist, I'm a scientist, and I am using this podcast to talk to all kinds of growers and eaters who are serious about their farms, their gardens, their local food systems, and I am asking, how can science help? Today's co-host is Kira.

She's just a regular lady living in the Seacoast area of New Hampshire, and she's my cousin.

We catch up whenever we can, usually over a glass of wine and some snacks.

She and her husband, Scott, are deeply steeped in the culinary world, having run a few restaurants, and they are both very passionate about enjoying new things.

They are very passionate about locally sourced ingredients.

They also have a young daughter, who, for the podcast, we have asked to come up with a nom de plume, a fake name.

It's not like I have a lot of listeners, but, you know, we don't wanna be like, "Hi, my name is this, and I live here." Yeah, we can ask her what she thinks, but like, we'd be like- "I don't lock our doors at night.

Come on over, people." [laughs] Also, like, you just never know, like, you know, she might grow up and be mad at me for putting her name out in public.

Hey, honey, do you wanna come do our thing?

Um, course I do.

Okay.

I want you to think about what kind of fake name I can use for you.

Like, a real different name, or like a superhero name?

Oh, be whatever you want.

You could, like-

Girly Girl 123.

Girly Girl 123.

[laughs] That's what you want? I'm gonna have a real hard time saying Girly Girl 123 in a conversation.

[laughs] "Hey, Girly Girl 123, what do you think about this?"

It's perfect.

Let's think about, like, maybe, like, a- a name instead of a-

Jessica.

Jessica?

Jessica V. of your generation.

Jessica V. of your generation.

[laughs]

From mom's generation.

So Jessica for short.