Tomatoes
It pains me to say this, but I am over them!
We're still getting a basket like this as often as we want, I sort of don't want any more.
I think I planted too many this year. It's a good learning tool, though, as I now have a better plan for what I want to do next year. I'm going to change where I plant them. Just plant one long row and leave a lot more space between them. Also stick to certain types that I know we like. I'm still looking for a really good beef tomato, so if anyone has any suggestions?
We watched Hugh F-W's ( my hero) 'Autumn' last night. Lovely. So as a change to passata we're going to try his tomato sauce recipe. It looked good.
Roast sieved tomatoes
Here's the basic procedure, but do vary the amounts of garlic and herbs to suit your own taste. Makes about a litre.
At least 2kg ripe, full-flavoured tomatoes - use different varieties and a mixture of sizes, all cut in half
2-3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A few sprigs fresh thyme and marjoram (optional, but preferable)
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Arrange the tomato halves - tightly packed but not on top of each other - in an ovenproof dish. Mix the garlic with the oil and trickle evenly over the tomatoes. Season lightly with salt and pepper, and throw in the herbs, if using.
Roast for 45-60 minutes, until the tomatoes are soft, pulpy and slightly charred. Rub the mixture through a fine sieve, discard the skins and seeds, and that's it - your sauce is ready to use.
(we're also adding a lot of basil)
this is one of the dishes
and after about an hour in the oven...
we had 2 oven dishes this size and it made about a litre and a quarter of sauce. It's much thicker than the passata and tastes sweeter and smokier.
You could always put them out by your gate with a sign, "Free to a good home!" Or just dump them into your freezer to be turned into something in the dead of winter. Oh - maybe it's time for a pet pig?! Ok, now I'm getting carried away...
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain, I'm still on my tomato learning curve too. Next year, single rows like you. I'm fed up forraging through tomato vines to get to the juicy ones at the bottom of the forest! Enjoy that sauce though, must give it a bash.
ReplyDeleteGreat recipe suggestion. I want to grow more tomatoes this year to have enough to do something like this with them.
ReplyDeleteTeresa x
Will def follow this recipe. Hope to get lots of toms this year and eat them before we go! X
ReplyDeleteWhat a shame there is so often a glut of things! Your tomato dish looks lovely though and I'm sure you'll be enjoying tomatoes from your larder for some time. Have you thought about drying them? We had a dehydrator which I haven't used for a long time, but I did use it for tomatoes and it works really well. I would offer to lend it to you - but I'm over the ditch! They are handy to have - especially with your abundant vege garden.
ReplyDeleteUgh, it's only the beginning of spring here, tomatoes are a long way off. Count your blessings, I would give an arm for a "real" tomato right now!
ReplyDeleteOoooo, i just cut mine into thinnish wedges, sprinkled with salt and oregano and semi-dried them at 100degrees for a couple of hours so they're still a little fleshy. Then heap them into jars with crushed garlic, oregano and olive oil. I use them in everything! On pizza, salads, rice, pasta, everything! I also have they with cheese...sooooo yummy and they keep!! I haven't many tomatoes still and lots are still green :-(
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