Tomato’s Salad Days --Just Toss 1 for 13

VIENNA — Restaurant operators estimate that they can make 13 salads from just one of a Bulgarian farmer’s tomatoes--weighing in at about 3 1/2 pounds, the official Bulgarian news agency said Wednesday.

Todor Birnikov’s backyard tomato was the size of an average watermelon. The tomato, the season’s record for Bulgaria, was put on display for several days before being cut into.

But those who were hoping to have similar success with next year’s crop by planting the seeds of the giant fruit were disappointed, the agency said, for the freak tomato had none.

The Guinness Book of World Records lists the heftiest-known tomato as weighing 6 lbs., 8 ozs. It was grown by Clarence Bailey of Monora, Wis., in August, 1976.