So I joined a CSA this year. All organic produce, grown about 30 miles away. So far, it’s been pretty good, although it has stricter work requirements than the one I belonged to back in Mpls.* Actually, it’s been very good; it’s just that I’ve been kinda bad. I guess I’d underestimated the degree to which I just no longer do any real cooking. As a result, I’ve had to throw away a fair amount of produce.
But I’m trying to do better. And right now, I have literally about 15 beautiful heirloom tomatoes just waiting for me to do something with them. I also have various Japanese-type eggplants, a few peppers, some basil, and a bag of various types of baby squash. Oh, and some new potatoes. And green beans. But mostly, I have tomatoes, and I’m determined not to waste them.
With that in mind, I need help: What would you do with all those tomatoes? I suppose I could cook up some tomato sauce—I forgot, I have onions and garlic too—but that would be pretty boring. I remember making a tomato tart a number of years ago, but I have no clue where I got the recipe. Can canning be learned quickly, like in a day? Anyone got better suggestions? Please?
*Needless to say, I’m overwhelmed with sorrow and horror at the bridge collapse in Minneapolis. It’s particularly upsetting to me because I know that area well; I didn’t spend much time on I-35W heading north, but it’s quite close to where I lived, and I drove under that bridge every day for years. In fact, parts of the bridge apparently landed on the River Road, which was my route to work (and which was a delightful road to commute on—scenic, no traffic, very few stop signs). I just can’t even begin to imagine what people are going through there, and my heart is with them, and with the city.
I just threw out a bag I could barely carry of produce from my organics delivery that I never got around to eating, so I understand the feeling.
That said, none of it was tomatoes–those, I eat. My favourite thing is thick slices (best halved if they’re relatively small) with a slab of chevre on top and then broiled for 5-6 minutes.
There’s a good tomato galette recipe in Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. If I had lots of fresh homegrown tomatoes, I probably make batch of fresh salsa. And gazpacho.
At least you joined the CSA. I keep waffling about which one to join until it’s too late.
Mmm, tomatoes and chevre…I could eat that every day. But probably not in large enough quantities to use all of these tomatoes before they go bad.
I don’t have Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (I have The Savory Way), but a galette sounds very appealing right now, and not just because I’m hungry. I’ll look around for a free recipe out there somewhere.
We are not spoiled for choice of CSAs here–there aren’t many, and they fill up very quickly. I was on the waiting list for the one I joined, in fact, and got lucky when a spot opened up. There are a fair number of organic and locavore farmers here, but only two or three CSAs.
Thank you both for the suggestions.
Another thing we do with our bounty is make oven dried tomatoes. This gives them a much longer “shelf life” — they freeze nicely, too — without canning. Or they would if they weren’t so good we wind up eating them like candy.
Here’s a recipe — very easy and you can do it while you sleep:
http://www.cooksrecipes.com/sauce/oven-dried-tomatoes-recipe.html
Tom
Oh, that’s an excellent idea, Tom–thanks. I’ve made those before, and yes, they do make perfect snacks. Now if it would just cool off enough for me to be able to contemplate turning on the oven.