Tasty Tomatoes

10/3/12 Cook’s Corner

Betty Kaiser

Thank heavens for Indian Summers. Some of us Oregonians would never be able to ripen tomatoes without it. Our tomato crop  blossomed early, set fruit late and ripened even later. But thanks to a dry, warm Sept. we just finished harvesting a bumper crop of tomatoes—along with a few odd zucchini and cucumbers.

As usual, we over-planted. In early June, it’s hard to believe that those tiny little tomato starts are going to produce enough tomatoes to can and eat fresh. For awhile it seemed like every time I turned around Chuck was bringing home another six-pack “just in case.” Early Girls (14), Better Boys (2) and one of those strange grafted tomatoes completed our tomato garden.

Of course, all of the plants grew and grew and grew. Ultimately, they produced hundreds of the strangest undersized fruit that I have ever seen. It took about 14 Early Girls to fill a pint jar and I’m not sure that any of the Better Boys produced slicing size fruit. They were yummy but not big. On the other hand, our grafted tomato was a stellar success as a plant but only produced about a dozen very ugly, humongous fruit.

So here it is Oct. and I still have ripe tomatoes. What to do? Last week I drug myself (screaming and kicking!) into the kitchen and canned about 18 jars of marinara sauce. It’s one of my staple items that sure comes in handy on a winter day when I’m wondering “what’s for dinner.” A recipe of sorts follows.

Of course, fresh, ripe tomatoes are best eaten plain and unadorned. We slice them and sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper for sandwiches almost every day. I dice them with homegrown cucumbers (still a couple in the frig!), some red onion and add a splash of Italian dressing for a dinner salad.

But I also found some great ideas while surfing the web at “Simple Bites.” This recipe for Marinated Tomatoes is simplicity personified and so versatile. It is one of those dishes that you ‘eyeball’ the amounts. You just keep adding (or subtracting) until it looks and tastes right.

AIMEE’S MARINATED TOMATOES

5-6 ripe tomatoes

1/2 cup virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper

A few cloves firm garlic

Fresh herbs (basil, oregano or thyme)

Wash and slice tomatoes and put in a large bowl. Cover with olive oil; salt and pepper to taste. Crush the garlic, chop the herbs and toss everything together. Cover and let marinade at room temperature until lunch (or dinner). Now you’ve got a base for a variety of meals or side dishes. Chose one of the following and enjoy!

Butter a baking dish, layer tomatoes with thinly sliced onion, top with breadcrumbs and cheese of choice. Bake until bubbly and cheese is melted. Serve with grilled steak.

Lunch: Stuff a pita with the marinated tomatoes. Add sliced cucumber and a dollop of sour cream.

Vegetarian pizza: Drain liquid and arrange some of the tomatoes on a pizza base. Dot with black olives and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake until crust is brown.

Sloppy BLT Sandwich: Toast thick slices of rustic bread. Spread with mayonnaise and top with a layer of sliced marinated tomatoes, crisp bacon and lettuce. Oh, yum!

Crispy salad: Squeeze half a lemon over the marinated tomatoes. Crumble in several handfuls of pita crisps; toss together and serve over torn romaine lettuce.

Mediterranean salad: Add diced red onion, a splash of red wine vinegar and olives. Serve mounded in a bowl topped with crumbled feta cheese.

Dinner: Place 6-8 raw jumbo shrimp in the middle of squares of aluminum foil. Cover with the marinated tomatoes and fold up the sides of the foil. Seal foil. Place on the BBQ for 7-9 min. until shrimp are pink. Serve in its own broth.

Pasta: Toss tomatoes with hot, cooked capellini pasta and serve with a crispy French baguette and you’ve got dinner!

Bruschetta: Bake sliced rounds of French baguette until crispy. Pile tomatoes onto the slices and dot with fresh goat’s cheese. If you like, slide back into oven to melt the cheese.

MARINARA SAUCE

The ingredients in this sauce are few and as old as time. The sauce itself is rumored to have originated with early Italian sailors because it is meatless and doesn’t require refrigeration.

When I’m in a hurry, I use the sauce as a base for just about anything that I have on hand. I add ground meat and seasonings to it for spaghetti and chili. It makes a great quick vegetable soup base and a flavorful topping for grilled chicken. This is my first attempt at measuring the ingredients. (No wonder it never turns out the same way twice!) It can be frozen or canned and is especially appreciated in the winter. Another dish to ‘eyeball’ the ingredients.

BETTY’S BASIC MARINARA SAUCE

4 large onions, peeled and diced

3 large green bell peppers, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup olive oil

12 cups ripe tomatoes, peeled and quartered

1 (16 oz) can tomato sauce

1 (6 oz) can tomato paste

2 tablespoons Italian seasonings

1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar (if using canned tomatoes)

1/3-1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Salt

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onions and bell peppers. Sauté slowly on medium heat until soft. Add the garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Then add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasonings and brown sugar. Simmer about 45 minutes or so to thicken. Stir often and add red wine vinegar about 10 minutes before canning or cooling to freeze. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt to each pint.

Note: You can substitute two (28 ounce)  cans of crushed tomatoes for fresh.

Keep it simple and keep it seasonal!

Betty Kaiser’s Cook’s Corner is dedicated to sharing a variety of recipes 

that are delicious, family oriented and easy to prepare.