Tomato Experiment Results

The after picture of heat-dried tomatoes. Yummy, right?

The tomato experiment was a success, though I did dehydrate them a little too long.

Now, instead of sun-dried tomatoes, I have heat-dried tomatoes. Ready for soup, casseroles, meat dishes . . . you name it.

The tomato experiement before drying

Ready to go experiment some more.

Bounty of Harvest

The bounty of harvest is in full production in October. This makes me very happy.

Usually I spend hours each fall dehydrating apples, parsley, sage, and any other produce I can get my hands on. Many foodstuffs come from the generosity of family and friends. Some are purchased. But the the parsley and sage are clipped straight from the garden, as they have aggressively taken over most of one raised garden bed.

This year, I have yet to fill the little dome of delight with sliced apples. But I have made a huge crock pot of applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon. The fragrance of cooking apples and cinnamon is a signature fall scent. Ahhh.

Yesterday our family was blessed with massive produce in the form of 50 pounds of potatoes (and I mean BIG spuds - I have never seen them this large), 50 pounds of onions, and a box full of Roma tomatoes. The overabundance is amazing. I do not want any of it to go to waste.

As of last night, the dehydrator has been running non-stop. The withered forms of onions rest inside, slowly drying out and waiting for me to scoop them into a container for future meals. The neighborhood is filled with wafts of onions (we got smart and put them on the patio, as our eyes were going crazy with burning).

The potatoes - what to do with the potatoes? Mashed? Baked? Gratined? I fear that one is enough for a small army, they are that huge!

And the tomatoes - soup? Sauce? Stewed? Dehydrated? (No, that does not sound appealing at all.)

I'm off to go another round with the tear-inducing onions. Last night was French onion soup. Tonight?

Ideas would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and if you need a spud or two, a few onions, and a handful of tomatoes, drop on by.

 

Thank you, dear friends, for sharing the (food) wealth!

Frozen Tomatoes

Yes, it does work, Martha.

As in Martha Stewart.

Last fall, according to my bursting with green tomatoes garden, I needed a way to save the crops when weather was turning to freeze. As suggested by Martha, I gathered in the bundles of hard green balls, sat them in a bowl, and waited.

As each orb changed from green to red, I cut out the stem end and any blemishes, placed each on a cookie sheet, and put the whole thing into the freezer.

Voila! Twenty four hours later, frozen weapons! I mean, frozen produce, ready for winter soups and tummy warming meals.

And they work great! After freezing, I filled gallon zip bags with all that fit. When it came time to cook meals, I just dropped several in the pot. Mmmmm.

The only problem is that they tend to be a bit more mushy than fresh tomatoes. Which is fine in soups and stews and casseroles. And I have to pick out the skins once they thaw out and boil in the pot. But other than those minor complaints, this is one happy tomato eater.

This summer, bring on the 'maters.

Stir Fried Garden

Another delicious meal, compliments of my garden, God (the Grower), a few grocery store items, and leftovers from a BBQ. Oh, what to do?

Stir Fried Garden Beans & Zucchini
1 zucchini, sliced
1 yellow squash, sliced
10 or so small yellow tomatoes
1/4 of an onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 c. fresh green beans, whole
1 leftover BBQ'd sausage, thinly sliced
Olive oil
Fresh ground black pepper
Crushed peppers (to taste)

Add a few T. of olive oil to a saute' pan. Saute' onion and sausage. Add green beans when other is hot. Let beans begin to turn cooked green and add squash/zucchini. Let cook almost all the way (not mushy). Add tomatoes the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. Sprinkle with black pepper and crushed peppers. Eat warm. (We ate ours with multi-grain pepper jack cheese quesadillas).

C'est bon!