It's always sad to see my babies die after I've worked so hard to get them to live. But by the time fall comes, I'm so ready for it. I've been working every single day for weeks now to preserve every bit of garden bounty, peeling and chopping and canning and freezing. I'm ready for the break. I'm ready to start eating the yummy goodness that's waiting for us in the pantries.
I'm not quite done yet though - I still have to do something with the forty pounds of tomatoes I picked on Thursday night, once they ripen. There are tomatoes covering every horizontal surface anywhere near my kitchen right now.
I stole the kid's craft table and stuck it in the kitchen with a tablecloth over it...
And this is the cabinet in the hallway outside of the kitchen.
Besides, that means I can start planning for next year's garden. And I have big plans. :-)
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A great way to use up some super-ripe tomatoes: Fresh Tomato Soup
3 - 3 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes
1 2/3c. chicken broth
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tsp sugar
3 tbsp tomato paste
basil - a small handful should do.
Peel, core, and quarter the tomatoes. Place in a large pot and pour the broth over them. Bring just to a boil and then simmer about 10 minutes. Mix in the other ingredients and simmer 2 more minutes. Then process in small batches in a blender until smooth. Return to the pot, reheat but do not boil.
I served it with cheesy garlic bread. The girls both had seconds. This is good stuff! It probably freezes well, too.
A note on Small Batches in the blender: there's a reason for that. If you put steaming soup into a blender, try to put the lid on, and then turn it on, it will explode. Something with the pressure build up from the steam, I guess. Trust me on that - it takes more time, but it's worth the small batches so as not to have to mop the floor ( again.) I learned the hard way.
4 comments:
Fried Green Tomatoes isn't just a cute movie. It's also a tasty food! If you want to find a way to use some of those delicious looking tomatoes before they ripen:
Just slice them and dip them in some egg beaten together with milk, then dip into flour or cracker crumbs with a bit of salt and some herbs and spices that you like, then fry them in a little oil.
Sorry to hear about your garden! I am sorta ready for mine to go too... I have not been diligent about picking the beans and they are WAY overripe.
Do you have any good recipes for roma tomatoes? I have about 10-15 of them and I'd like to use them for something!
Apryl - I think I'm gonna try fried green tomatoes this year. I'll let you know how they turn out. :o)
Kim - beans are a lot of work, aren't they? After the first couple of weeks, I'm so sick of picking beans. Just wait till the kids are a little older and you can put them to work - they think it's fun!
Looks great - and the recipe sounds really yummy. I must try it. My older kid won't eat tomoatoes in tomato form, but will in soup form. Do you have a stick blender? I use it for my soups. I blend the soup right in the pot - so easy and clean up's a charm (not to sound like an infomercial)
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