DON’T WASTE THE BOUNTY OF SUMMER….

If you’re like me and have a small, small garden, I can’t bear to see ANYTHING go to waste!  Especially if I’ve spent $3000 on watering!  I have 5 tomato bushes that have become prolific producers, and I’ve given away tomatoes to everyone I know.  I’ve canned jars full AND stewed  ‘em.  Stewing is easy – you can  pop ‘em in the freezer to add to chili and spaghetti on cold winter nights.  Canning is time-consuming (tho totally rewarding) but freezing tomatoes is a snap! 

This is my first year planting Roma tomatoes, and I’ve noticed that you can stare at them and they will ripen…. I’ve never seen a tomato go from solid green to ripe overnight.  So those are the ones I’m freezing.

Read on……

FROZEN TOMATOES WITH BASIL

INGREDIENTS:

(I cook this down to yield about a PINT of REALLY THICK tomatoes)

1                 armload of ripe tomatoes (probably 30-40 Romas or a dozen of the big variety)

1/2 – 3/4 C Fresh basil, chopped or julienned

                    Kosher salt

1 pot           boiling water

1 bowl         ice water

DIRECTIONS:

Rinse the tomatoes.  Place them in boiling water (one row deep) for about 30-45 seconds.  Fish ‘em out and plunge in the ice water.  Now pop the skins off.

Cut tomatoes into small chunks, removing most of the seeds and any green stem stuff.  Place in a heavy pot and squeeze ‘em with your hand to mush them a bit. 

Add 1 TBSP kosher salt and 1/2 C of chopped fresh baby basil (or more) for each (estimated) quart of uncooked tomatoes.  Bring to a slow boil and simmer on LOW, covered, for about 30 minutes.  Stir often to make sure they don’t stick.  

Uncover and simmer another 30 minutes to let the juice reduce and concentrate. 

Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.  Pour into freezer ZipLoc bags and freeze flat (makes for easier storage).

  

FROZEN BLOODY MARY (SERVES 4)

4 oz             ABSOLUT CITRON VODKA

1 pint +/-    FROZEN tomatoes with basil

2 TBSP         Frank’s Original Hot Sauce

1 dash         Worcestershire sauce

1 pinch        Kosher salt (to taste)

4 stalks       Celery – with leaves

DIRECTIONS:

Place everything (except celery) in a blender and whiz until just slushy

Pour into a frosted glass and add celery stalk

Try adding 1 TBSP of clam juice to each glass for a little different taste; also try popping a couple of cooked, chilled fresh shrimp on the rim of the glass