Tomatoes

It's nearly the end of tomato season and I can honestly say this saddens me. Local tomatoes of all sizes and heritage have been wonderful this year and we've learned to do many new and different things with them.

At the beginning of the season, we would showcase them in a salad all their own -  dressed in the simplest herbal dressing to show off their exquisite fresh flavor. When friends joined us for dinner one night, we finished the meal with that wonderfully delicious Tomato Tarte Tatin that we wrote about last year, and fell in love with it all over again. 

As the season progressed, we wanted to be creative so we made tomato water which added a subtle tomato flavor to many a summer cocktail and homemade tomato jam became a standing complement to leftover cold chicken.  By late August, our blender nearly burned out making batch after batch of Heirloom Tomato soup which was cool and delicious on those really hot late-summer days. 

Here we are at the end of the season wanting desperately to extend it any way we can, so we're making several tomato sauces that we can freeze to use throughout the winter (if they last that long). We use them on homemade pizza and pasta, in casseroles, and to dress vegetables like zucchini and eggplant. Patricia Wells is our source for these two sauces (Vegetable Harvest), and we will be grateful to her all winter long.

Chunky Fresh Tomato Sauce
(Yields 5 cups) 

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 pounds garden-fresh tomatoes, rinsed, cored, and quartered

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt (do not substitute fine salt, it may be too salty)
Several celery leaves
Several fresh or dried Bay leaves
1 head of plump, moist garlic, cloves separated and peeled
Hot red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
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• In a large, heavy-duty saucepan, combine all the ingredients. 
• Cook, uncovered, over moderate heat, stirring regularly, until the tomatoes have collapsed and are cooking in their own juices, about 15 minutes. Taste for seasoning. 
• Remove and discard the celery leaves and bay leaves.
• Place a food mill over a large bowl. Using a large ladle, transfer the sauce to the food mill and purée into the bowl. (I don't have a food mill and used a food processor, with satisfactory results.) 
• Store, covered, in the refrigerator for one week or in the freezer for six months.

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Rustic Oven-Roasted Tomato Sauce
(6 servings)

3 pounds garden-fresh tomatoes, rinsed, cored, and halved crosswise (do not peel)
Fine sea salt
About 2 teaspoons dried oregano
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• Preheat the oven to 425℉.
• Arrange tomato halves, cut side up, side by side on a baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Rub the oregano between your palms, showering the tomatoes with the fragrant herb.
• Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and roast the tomatoes until very soft, about 40 minutes.
• Transfer the tomatoes and any juices to a food processor or a blender and purée until smooth.
• Store, covered, in the refrigerator for one week or in the freezer for six months.

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By looking at this page, it must become fairly apparent that I fell in love, not only with eating these summer beauties, but with photographing them as well. Two passions merge! Enjoy!

 

Comments

[Claudia]

Sandra, So glad you like the photos!

[Sandra Hughes Benton]

I love the mater porn!!!
Awesome photos - thank you for sharing them!

[Claudia]

Thank you both!

[ally]

yum-gorgeous photos

[BAFA Studio]

WONDERFUL, I love tomatoes as well.