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Roasted Tomato Sauce for the Freezer: Enjoy the Summer’s Bounty in February!

September 5, 2011 in Frugal Tips

Freezer Tomato Sauce Square

Roasted Tomato Sauce - for the freezer

Tomato plants in are in high-production mode and they are calling out to me from my garden: “HEY! We’re Ripe! Do something quick!”

Of course, I have made a few gallons of salsa to bring to work and pass out to friends, neighbors and co-workers. They don’t call me the Salsa Fairy for nothing!

But, still more red ripe tomatoes! What to do?

I decided to make a tomato-basil sauce that can be frozen and then thawed in the dead of winter to savor the days of eating fresh tomatoes right off the plants – brushing off the dirt first, of course!

This method is ingenious! You roast the tomatoes, and while they are still hot, you add in the garlic and basil, which cooks them just enough but still retains their freshness. Genius!

Now I will have a reason to smile in February!

Happy End-of-Summer Harvest, Everyone!

– posted by Donna

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The Gestalt of the Tomato: Caprese Parfaits

August 20, 2011 in Appetizers, Gluten Free, Healthy Fare, Vegetarian Entrees

Caprese Parfaits

For years, like many members of  the last few factory-farmed, shrink-wrapped, additived-and-preservatived generations, I thought I detested fresh tomatoes. Mealy and bland, almost always refrigerated, only acceptable in thoroughly stewed or sauced form. My mom used to nostalgically describe picking tomatoes as a child, out of my grandma’s garden in upstate New York, and eating them like apples. I could hardly imagine anything more revolting at the time.

Now, of course, we’ve all become much more sophisticated, in our current local, sustainable, seasonal collective consciousness. We know that what we really loathed were the out-of season supermarket imposters, mass-produced and shipped thousands of miles to your January attempt at a  salad (probably involving iceberg lettuce, which, I notice, is making an odd sort of comeback; perhaps it’s ironic, the produce equivalent of a hipster’s PBR). A truly fresh tomato, procured in its natural habitat and life cycle, that is a completely different experience.

I can think of no better expression of Tomato, its essence, the thing-in-itself, than the caprese salad. Read the rest of this entry →

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Fried Green Tomatoes – Gluten-free!

September 9, 2009 in Appetizers, Gluten Free, Side Dishes, Vegan Recipes

This is a guest post from a Fab Frugal Friend, Kimberly, which I think befits the female friendship symbolism of the fried green tomato – well, ever since the movie at least. (If you haven’t seen it, go rent this classic ASAP!) Read the rest of this entry →

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TOMATO FEST: Tomato Chile Jam

August 19, 2009 in Healthy Fare, Uncategorized, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Entrees

I know. I thought it sounded weird at first, too. Jam? From Tomatoes???

I’ll admit, I was desperate. I had so many tomatoes coming on over the weekend screaming “Pick Me! Pick Me!” that I began to get a bit desperate.  I came across a tomato jam recipe and gave it a try. It is great spread on a toasted baguette slice over a thin layer of ricotta.

I decided to spice it up quite a bit, so the jalapenos were my idea. And, I only used about half of the recommended sugar so the jam would have a more tangy savory feel. And, don’t be tempted to squeeze out the seeds and liquid from the tomatoes – that is where all the pectin is that will thicken the jam.

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TOMATO FEST: Sassy Smoky Salsa

August 17, 2009 in Healthy Fare, Vegan Recipes, Vegetarian Entrees

“It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.”
–  Lewis Grizzard

Each summer I can hardly wait until I start seeing red globes peeking out from between the green leaves of our tomato plants.

There is a fabulous blog celebrating home-grown goodness – Andrea Meyers at Andreas Recipes – she hosts a twice-monthly “Grow Your Own” feature where she highlights recipes from food blogs that feature cooks using ingredients they have grown (or foraged or were gifted) themselves. This salsa post was featured on her blog – check it out to see this and other “GYO” goodness!

There are a million salsa recipes out there, and I have tried my share of them over the last 30 years. Trust me on this – I grew up a few miles from the Mexican border and I have eaten hundreds of salsas. If I am a connoisseur of any one thing, it has to be salsa! This Roasted Tomato Salsa recipe is my absolute all-time favorite!  Roasting about half of the tomatoes quickly at a very high heat give a wonderful roasted smoky flavor, but keeping half of the tomatoes raw gives it the perfect freshness and texture. And, the chipotle chile powder and smoked paprika are delicious in combination with tomatoes.

Don’t skip the EVOO. Olive oil used with tomatoes improves BOTH their flavor and health benefits exponentially.

I love to make gallons (literally) of our family’s favorite salsa and then cruise around the neighborhood like “The Salsa Fairy” handing out pints to friends or leaving them on doorsteps as a surprise treat. Everyone raves about salsa that has roasted tomatoes in the recipe!

You may even be tempted to sit down with a bowl of this with a very large spoon. No, I am NOT kidding.

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