Market Farming

["Wiediger, Alison" <alison.wiediger AT hart.kyschools.us>]

Good morning!

 

As usual, we have planted too many cherry tomatoes.  Funny how 12 varieties times 12-18 per variety seems just right when we seed in March, and is way too many when they really get going.  So, just in case we are not the only market farmers with too many cherry tomatoes, I’d like to share a recipe for “putting them up”.

 

Take 8-10 pints of cherry tomatoes, all sizes and colors (about 8 pounds) and put into a large roasting pan

Bake in a 350 oven about 20 minutes – until softened

Remove from oven and using a potato masher, mash the softened tomatoes until all skins burst

Pour off as much of the juice as possible (you could save this and cook down for vegetable stock if you like, but it will have a lot of seeds)

Add about ¼ to ½ cup good olive oil

Add 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and coarsely chopped, Italian herbs to taste and stir to mix.

Return to oven and bake until most of the juice is gone, stirring occasionally.  We like them still soft, but not juicy.  There will be a little browning.  How long it takes depends on how much juice you had left after you poured it off.

 

Eat as a side dish, or put in freezer containers for a great summer treat this winter.  Like over pasta, or in a roasted tomato salsa

 

So, when we don’t sell all the cherry tomatoes at the market on Saturday, we can look forward to an easy way to preserve them for the winter instead of feeding them to our chickens.

 

Enjoy!!

 

Alison Wiediger, Au Naturel Farm