It is that time of year again, when the patio tomatoes start to get ripe. We have a bumper crop; that is just some of them in that photo. We’ve been putting tomatoes in everything we eat, but it was time to face the fact that we aren’t going to eat all of those before they go bad. Not to mention the trays full that are still on the vines.
Today is roast tomato day. The larger ones will go into tomato sauce for the freezer, but a lot of these are getting roasted.
Those are the smaller and medium sized tomatoes, cut in half or quarters. I tossed them with olive oil and salt and pepper, then put fresh thyme on top and stuck them in the oven on low heat (300 on my oven, which tends to run cool). They’ll sit in there until they are collapsed and look like sun dried tomatoes.
These will go in stews and soups and such, much of the fall. I’m going to freeze some, though I’ve not done that before and don’t know how well they’ll keep that way.
The bigger ones will live for another day. I plan on making a rustic tomato sauce/purée which definitely WILL go into the freezer for fall and winter meals.
And supper will be this tonight.
That is a tomato tart with pesto and ricotta. That very one up there was dinner last week, it was so good that we’re making it again. It couldn’t be easier. Here is the recipe, it is from NY Times Cooking. This tastes sort of like the world’s best pizza, if you were asked to make pizza and didn’t know it wasn’t supposed to be made with a puff pastry crust. It is divine, and relatively healthy.*
Enough about tomatoes. I’m going to find a comfy spot to read and knit for the afternoon. It would be a gorgeous summer day if it weren’t for all the smoke from the fires out there. I stepped outside once this morning when the mail came, and almost couldn’t breathe. The fires in Washington have been awful, though nothing serious has come “we-gotta-get-out-of-here” close yet. And the wind has died down, which should help with fire control a lot. Stay safe if the fires are close to where you are.
*Relatively, considering it starts with puff pastry that likely has a bazillion pounds of butter in it.
Wow, that pizza looks Devine! I’m going to copy your tomato roasting idea, we’re running out of ideas to not let any go to waste. I’ve also dried the skins and ground them to dust to throw in soups or stews!
I know a few people too close to the fires. Stay safe. If you have to leave without finishing your tomatoes, you’re more than welcome to send them to me.