Easy tomato recipes

[encinc]

HELP! A family member offered us 1/3 bushel of ROMA (plum) tomatoes. I'm grateful for the offer, but I don't know what to do with them. I have never done canning before, so I don't have any supplies. I do have freezer bags/containers and some room in the freezer. Any recipes/ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Gigi22]

One third of a bushel isn't too difficult to use. You can simply wash and freeze Roma tomatoes. Make sure to use a few in tomato-based sauces (spaghetti, chili) during the year.

Roma tomatoes are very good in fresh salads too. They have the advantage of being less watery than most tomatoes.

 

[worm761]

I would roast them and make sauce out of them. Chunky marinara, pizza and red sauce. Put in baggies premeasured and freeze. You could also make sun dried tomato out of them. Make some sun dried tomato pesto.

And if you would like to use some now, slice in half lengthwise, top with fresh parmesan (not the canned stuff!!) and bake until the cheese is melty and bubbly. YUM!!!

 

[Krshew]

Before I freeze I blanch and remove skin. Then freeze in ziplock. For eating now I do baked like above with fresh parm but I also add fresh basil or cilantro and bread crumbs with a little olive oil. I also like to use extra tomatoes in pico de gallo and tomato basil soup. Yum!

 

[Kate and Pete]

I just processed and froze a ton (not literally!) of tomatoes from my garden today - very easy, and ready for me to make sauces and whatnot in the winter:
http://www.pickyourown.org/freezingtomatoes.htm

 

[smokeyblue]

I just processed just about the same amount of tomatoes today into sauce.

Core and seed the tomatoes. Line a jelly roll pan or some other flat pan with sides with tin foil. Put tomatotes on pan with a few cloves of garlic and a couple of quarterd onions. Liberally drizzle olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put in ove and roast on 450 for 24-30 minutes. Take pan out, put in large/stock pot. Add italian seasonings (dry or fresh) and salt and pepper to tatste; you don't need to go too crazy with the seasonings since you will be able to season when you use the sauce. I let this simmer for awhile and puree with a stick blender until all the chunks are gone. Cool and put in bags or tupperware and freeze.

What I like about this is that you don't have to peel the tomatoes since the roasting breaks down the skin and gives great flavor. If you want to have tomato soup all you need to do is thaw the "sauce" and add a little chicken stock and cream/milk.

 

[mjkacmom]

I saute some garlic up in some olive oil for about 5 mintues, chop up my plum tomatoes (lots this year), and throw them in with some fresh basil, salt and pepper. Boil pasta, drain, and add to pan (with some pasta water). Can add some fresh parmesaen or even goat cheese.

 

[goodfood4ursoul]

Before I freeze I blanch and remove skin. Then freeze in ziplock. For eating now I do baked like above with fresh parm but I also add fresh basil or cilantro and bread crumbs with a little olive oil. I also like to use extra tomatoes in pico de gallo and tomato basil soup. Yum!

Actually, once you freeze them, when you thaw them to use, the skins literally slip right off, so there's no real need to boil and slip the skins
.
Blanching is important if you are going to freeze them for more than a few months, if you'll use them before then, you should be fine just freezing them on a tray and then storing them in freezer ziplocks.

Check with a thermometer to make sure your freezer is set properly- at 0 degrees F or lower.
While 10 and 20 and 30 F are indeed "below freezing", food will deteriorate more rapidly at those temps.
Hint- if your ice cream is not hard as a brick, your freezer is not at the optimum temperature.

I like to slice fresh tomatoes, top with shredded basil, goat cheese crumbles and balsamic vinegar.

 

[Gigi22]

True, I had forgotten that the skins of frozen tomatoes slip right off under the tap.

You could make grilled bread and tomato salad. It's a bit different, very refreshing. You have to prepare yourself for a salad that is mostly raw tomatoes and toasted bread.

This is the low fat version. Toast/grill 6 thick slices of French or Italian bread. Cut each slice into 1 1/2 in. pieces. Toss bread with 4 c. chopped tomatoes. Dress with a vinaigrette made from: 1 clove garlic, minced; 1/3 c. balsamic vinegar; 1 1/2 T. olive oil; 1/4 tsp. pepper; salt to taste; 2 T. chopped chives or green onions; 1/3 c. fresh basil or parsley.

 

[EllenFrasier]

Love these ideas - anyone have any more recipes?

 

[marko]

I would make stewed tomatoes and freeze them.

 

[disneynan]

I have over-sized cherry tomatoes growing out of control in my garden. I have been mixing them with olive oil, salt and ground black pepper and then tossing them into my grill pan when I grill meat. They soften and blacken but also get really sweet. I have served them plain or mixed with other grilled veggies or to top a salad. Easy and delicious!

 

[SetzKitten]

You could make some sun-dried tomatoes. They're so good. Just cut the tomatoes, put on a non-stick sheet, sprinkle with salt and bake at 200 until they're leathery (could take all day). If you have a food dehydrator, you could use that as well. Google has a ton of recipes, but they're all basically the same.

You could also make gazpacho. Lots of tomatoes, cukes, yellow pepper, green onions, garlic, salt, pepper, basil if you like, a touch of oil and some red wine vinegar. I usually throw in whatever I have in the fridge. It's wonderful on a hot summer day. Google has a ton of this recipe as well.

 

[busy mom]

I like to slice them in wedges then just mix with oil, vinegar, italian spices and small chunks of mozz cheese...yummy.

 

[tinkmom2]

I just made tomato soup with tomatoes my neighbor gave me. I roasted them in a cast iron skillet first and then blended them in a blender. I added a can of stewed tomatoes, a chopped onion, some garlic, and about 1/4 cup Vermouth.

I blended it down some more and finished it off with about a half a cup of heavy cream. I think I will try the sauce idea. I just got done making some bread and butter pickles this weekend and have a few left over jars.

Canning supplies are on sale at most stores now. I got twelve quart jars for $7.00. And there was a manufacturer coupon a few weeks ago.

 

[sarah4770]

Don't forget salsa. I just made some today, doesn't use a lot of tomatoes, but salsa is so expensive in the store.