Re: [CH] OT -- Cherry/Pear Tomatoes
Sandy Olson (sandyo@myclearwave.net)
Wed, 9 Aug 2006 09:06:59 -0500
Hey, Matt...I, too, was going to suggest drying them. They take up lots
less space, you can season them hot as they dry and they are soooo good in
things...intense flavor. You could make your own sun dried tomatoes
outside, putting netting over to discourage insects and making sure they
don't get rained upon.
With regard to anything dried, such as my homemade chipoltes, I always store
the bags in the freezer...just to make sure they don't mold in case I
haven't eliminated every bit of moisture from them in the drying processes.
And...they last for years in the deep freeze, a nice bonus in case you don't
want to plant this variety next summer.
Also, I make a wonderful garlic tomato salad. Has no 'real' recipe, just
cut those red cherries tomatoes in half, as many as you want and put them in
a bowl. Add as much fresh, sliced garlic as your like or your family will
tolerate on their breaths. Add fresh basil, again as much as you enjoy.
Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper...about a teaspoon
of salt per pound of tomatoes. Splash on some good olive oil...NO vinegar!
Gentle stir the whole thing, cover and put into the fridge overnight. The
flavors have to meld for it to be really good. As you eat the tomatoes, you
can just add more to the juice and keep the bowl going for a while. I
always eat the sliced garlic but many don't. If that runs low, just add
more of that as well. This is soooo good and can only be made with
vine-ripened red tomatoes. My sweet Italian mother's recipe from 100 years
ago LOL!! Of course, you can add as much fresh chile as you like too but
sometimes I enjoy a dish that isn't hot....just waaaaay garlicky!
SandyO
CH #1146, of the moderate persuasion