SALSA – canned tomato version
When people ask you what your favorite food is, what answer do you give them? For me I have to always say that it is a tie between Chips & Salsa and Dark Chocolate (I know, its a strange “combination” – but as long as …
Tag: veggies
Bacon Habanero Infused Vodka
As a teacher, I often think about my personal vs. public life. This blog makes me think about those private/personal lines and my privacy as well (especially right now as I am teaching Internet Safety/Responsibility/etc). I am an adult, but I am also an educator …
Bloody Mary – Tomato Juice
When Life gives you Lemons – You make Lemonade… SO when Life give you Tomatoes, you make Tomato Juice! We have been enjoying our garden fresh tomatoes for more than a month. I am getting to a point that I am sick and tired of chopping to make bruschetta and tomato salad and salsa though. It is time to give my blender a work-out to help ‘deal with’ my tomatoes! We loved Habanero Tomato Soup last week and since my Bloody Mary loving Grandma was home from her trip & coming to visit I had no other option but tomato juice!
The flavor of this juice was wholesome & pretty good (mom was not a fan of it). I’m not sure what I would & should change but I know that I want to experiment some more [next year probably]… any suggestions!?
“Raw” Bloody Mary Mix
roughly based on Our Share of the Harvest
(make about 1 quart)
- 2 pounds tomatoes, washed, cored and halved
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 1- 2 celery stalks
- 1 Tablespoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
- 1-2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
Throw all ingredients in the blender – blend until smooth. Taste, adjust as needed. Refrigerate for a few hours (or overnight +) to let all of the flavors meld.
Serve with some Habanero Infused Vodka and a stalk of celery. Enjoy responsibly!
And I leave you with this, Today’s Question of the Day… Tomatoes are a Fruit, Lemons are a Fruit… what is your favorite “Fruit Juice”?
Habanero Tomato Soup
To create this meal I litterally just threw tomatoes in the blender & thought about flavors. Then pureeded batches of tomato & friends went into the pot to be heated/reduced/tasted/enjoyed. Perfect with a quick quesadilla on the side to finish off the “Mexican Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese Dinner” theme.
Borsht: Chilled Beet & Tomato Soup
Survey says: Rich thought it was a little “earthy tasting” (but he hates beets). My Grandmother called me when she was eating the leftovers I gave her and was “Oohing & Aahhing” over it (love you Grandma). Mom & Dad were both very impressed & thought it was better than they were expecting!
Oven Roasted Garlic Tomatoes
I’m not sure how your house currently looks – but mine looks like it is covered in tomatoes. No – and not just because my kitchen is painted red but because I have almost no counter space due to tomatoes (literally, 40+ pounds of tomatoes – we are in the process of ‘dealing’ with them)! I am freezing ‘fresh’ tomatoes to use later. I also am making salsa (and freezing some). I will also have some tomato sauce that will be making its way to the freezer.
But I enjoy eating fresh tomatoes!! For lunch the other day I had just a container of tomatoes that I cut & salted as I ate them – yum. Tomato Salads & Bruschetta have been on the [snack] menu multiple times the past few days as well. Stuffed Tomatoes of various sorts are another popular appetizer around here. We wanted a yummy fresh tomato dish the other day though. After making Zucchini Baba Ganoush, Tomatillo Salsa (a few times) & Tomato Soup – I decided that the house needed to smell yummy from some roasted veggies again.
This is SO simple and easy – roast up some fresh tomatoes with garlic, olive oil, & salt and you have your sauce. The only “work” to this is planning an hour ahead to roast up your tomatoes. So what are you waiting for – enjoy the flavors of summer and enjoy!!
Roasted Tomato Sauce
(amounts approximate)
- 2 pounds cherry/plum/small tomatoes
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 + garlic cloves
- 1 Tablespoon Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
- coarse sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 container pasta (linguine)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish, combine tomatoes, garlic, oil, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Season with salt and pepper. Roast tomatoes until tender, juicy, and skins have popped, about 40 to 50 minutes.
Cook linguine according to package directions in salted water until cooked to desired texture. Serve into bowl then top with some more olive oil, the tomato mixture & some fresh basil, and a few shavings of fresh parmesan. Serve immediately. Yield: 2 – 4 servings (depending on appetites, I’m sure you know how far a box of pasta goes in your family).
*Note – I have also made this with making a quick tomato sauce (onion, garlic, peeled/diced fresh tomatoes, red wine) and mixing my pasta with that & serving the roasted tomatoes on top – that gave us two dimensions of tomato flavor!
One Year Ago: Apple Cinnamon Muffins
And I leave you with this, today’s Question of the Day… What is your favorite way to use garden ripened tomatoes?