what can i do with all these tomatos!?

Question

My garden has produced a ton of tomatos this year. Now what!? I gave a bunch away and I still have a lot. Anyone have any good tomato recipes? How about a good fresh pasta sauce recipe? I have big boy tomatos and grape tomatos.

Answer 1

For tomato sauce:
2 cups seeded, and coarsely chopped tomato
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves, minced
1 cup firmly packed fresh parsley leaves, minced
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
3 garlic cloves, or to taste, minced
2 teaspoons salt

Make tomato sauce:
In a bowl combine well all the sauce ingredients and let the sauce stand at room temperature, covered, for at least 1 hour.
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Sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, liquid included
1 teaspoon finely minced canned chipotle en adobo and sauce, or more to taste
2 teaspoons chopped oregano leaves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
Salt
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Make Sauce:
In a 4-quart saucepan heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions until translucent, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, chipotles, oregano, rosemary, and salt. Bring all the ingredients to a low boil, reduce heat and cook for approximately 15 minutes, until liquid has evaporated slightly. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
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Provencal Stuffed Tomatoes

Stuffed tomatoes are best eaten in the summer when the tomatoes are sweet and succulent. If you start with a bad tomato you'll end up with a bad stuffed tomato. The sweet juices of the tomato co-mingle with the olive oil and the herbs and soak into the bread. The olives and Parmesan add texture and saltiness. After trying these, you'll never look at a baked tomato the same again. These tomatoes are great served with lamb, chicken and fish.


8 (1 by 1-inch) bread cubes
8 medium-small ripe red or yellow tomatoes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan (about 2 ounces)
1/2 cup pitted, sliced kalamata or nicoise olives
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley leaves
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 large garlic clove, minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Arrange the bread cubes on a baking sheet and lightly toast in the oven, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

Increase the oven to 400 degrees F.

Remove the cores from the top of the tomatoes and cut the top off the tomato 1/4 of the way down. Reserve the tops. Slice enough of the bottom off each tomato, so it stands up, but don't cut through to the seed. (If you cut too deep, patch the hole with the piece you have just sliced off, by placing it in the bottom after you've hollowed it out.)

Using a melon baller, carefully scoop the inside of the tomatoes out, taking care not to penetrate the sides and create holes. Collect the balls of pulp and chop coarsely. Press the juice and seeds through a strainer. Add the strained juice to the chopped pulp.

In a bowl, mix together the tomato pulp, Parmesan, olives, olive oil, parsley, basil, oregano, and garlic. Toss with the bread cubes and season with salt and pepper. Let the mixture sit until the bread cubes have soaked up most of the moisture.

Season the interior of each tomato with salt and black pepper. Stuff each tomato with 1 bread cube and as much as herb olive mixture that you can pack in. Top with the reserved tomato tops and stick a toothpick through the center of the top to keep it from sliding off while it bakes. Place the stuffed tomatoes in a roasting pan that has been drizzled with olive oil. Drizzle the tops of tomatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until bubbling and tender, about 30 to 40 minutes.


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Tomato, Basil and Cheese Baked Pasta

1 pound small shell pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan in a slow stream
3 large cloves garlic
1/2 small to medium yellow onion
1 (28-ounce) can crushed Italian tomatoes, any brand
1/2 cup, 10 to 12 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
Salt and pepper
1 cup store bought basil pesto sauce
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt the water. Add small shell pasta and cook the pasta to al dente doneness which means that the pasta will still have a bite to it or be a little chewy. The pasta will soak up more juice and keep on cooking after we drain it, so we need it to be a little under cooked. The shells will probably cook about 9 or 10 minutes.
Preheat a deep, big skillet or a medium sauce pot over medium heat.

Place garlic on the cutting board and place the flat of your knife on top of each clove. Carefully give the garlic a whack with the palm of your hand to separate the cloves from the skins. Throw out the skins and chop up the garlic. Remember to keep your fingers curled under and the edge of your sharp, chef's knife tilted slightly away from your body.

Add extra-virgin olive oil to the pan by pouring a slow stream of it twice-around-the-pan. This will be about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Do not let the oil pour out too fast. You are looking for a slow, steady stream. Add the garlic to the oil. To chop the onion, cut the ends off and cut the whole onion down the center. Wrap half and save it. Cut the other half into thin slices then twist the slices a quarter turn and chop them again. Hold the tip of knife on the cutting board and lift the back of the knife up and down over the onion to make the pieces really small. Add the chopped up onion to the garlic and oil. Cook, stirring a lot, 5 minutes until the onions are mushy and look cooked.

Add the tomatoes to the onions and stir. When the tomatoes come to a bubble, reduce the heat under the sauce to low. Stir in basil pieces to wilt them. Season the sauce with salt and peppe, to your taste.

Preheat your broiler to high and place a rack in the center of the oven.

Drain pasta shells. Add them to a casserole dish. Add pesto sauce, 1 cup of ricotta cheese and a handful of grated Parmigiano, too. Stir carefully and coat the hot pasta with the pesto and cheeses. Pour the hot tomato and basil sauce over the pasta, as much as you like. You can always serve a little extra at the table, to pass around. Shred up some mozzarella cheese with a grater and scatter it over the pasta. Add a final sprinkle of Parmigiano to the mozzarella as well. Place the casserole under the broiler in the middle of oven, 10 to 12 inches from the heat. Let the cheese melt and bubble on top, 3 to 5 minutes.
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Fresh Tomato Salsa

4 pounds vine-ripened red and/or orange tomatoes (about 5 medium)
1/2 medium onion (preferably white)
1 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
4 fresh serrano or jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Quarter and seed tomatoes. Dice the tomatoes and transfer to a bowl. Finely chop enough onion to measure 1/2 cup and chop cilantro. Stir chiles, onion, cilantro, and garlic into tomatoes with sugar and lime juice and season with salt and pepper.
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Tomato "Carpaccio" with Arugula and Herb Salad

For the vinaigrette, use whatever herbs you like, but I recommend a mixture of 50 percent basil or parsley. The vinaigrette can be prepped but not assembled ahead of time, since it does not benefit from a long maceration period.


For the vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
2 cups red and/or yellow tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 2 to 3 tomatoes)
5 ounces Sweet 100 tomatoes, cut ½, 1 cup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 large red and/or yellow tomatoes, about 8 ounces each, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces (about 6 cups) fresh baby arugula
2-ounce chunk Parmesan


For the vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, combine the lemon juice, shallots, and garlic. Slowly whisk in the olive oil to form an emulsion. Add the chopped herbs. Stir in the diced tomatoes and Sweet 100's and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble: On a round platter, arrange the sliced tomatoes in concentric circles, slightly overlapping the slices and alternating colors if using both red and yellow tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the tomatoes from the vinaigrette over the sliced tomatoes, leaving some of the vinaigrette in the bowl. Toss the arugula in the bowl with the remaining vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the arugula in the middle of the platter. Using a vegetable peeler, shave thin slices of Parmesan over the tomatoes and arugula. Pass freshly ground black pepper. Serve at room temperature.

Answer 2

Here's a great tomato sauce Recipe:

Fresh Tomato Spaghetti Sauce

6 servings 2¼ hours 5 min prep

4 lbs fresh tomatoes, chopped & peeled
2 medium onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
4 sprigs parsley
1 tablespoon sugar
grated parmesan cheese

To cook pasta sauce, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large iron skillet or heavy saucepan.
Add onion, basil, garlic and salt.
Saute until onion is tender, approximately 5 minutes.
Add tomato, parsley and sugar; heat to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for about 2 hours, stirring often or until sauce has thickened.
Remove parsley.
Serve over cooked spaghetti or other Italian pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.

Try also making salsa would be a great way to use them and great gifts too!!

8 cups tomatoes, peeled,chopped and drained
2 1/2 cups onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups green peppers
1 cup jalapeno peppers, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons pepper
1/8 cup canning salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup vinegar
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (12 ounce) can tomato paste

Mix all together and bring to a slow boil for 10 min.
Seal in jars and cook in hot water bath for 10 min.
The cumin in this makes it hot so when I want a milder salsa I just omit the cumin.

Answer 3

For tomato sauce:
2 cups seeded, and coarsely chopped tomato
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup firmly packed fresh basil leaves, minced
1 cup firmly packed fresh parsley leaves, minced
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
3 garlic cloves, or to taste, minced
2 teaspoons salt
1 pound linguine
Fresh parsley to garnish

Make tomato sauce:
In a bowl combine well all the sauce ingredients and let the sauce stand at room temperature, covered, for at least 1 hour.
In large pot, bring 5 quarts of salted water to a boil. Add linguine and stir to prevent sticking. Return water to boil and cook until pasta is firm but cooked, approximately 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta well. Serve with tomato sauce, and garnish with fresh parsley.

Answer 4

Life is rough, huh? ;-)

1.) They freeze really well. First boil a large pot of just water. Cut a small "x" in the base of the tomato. When the water is rolling, gently lower the tomatoes into the water for about 20-30 seconds. Quickly remove them to a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Start peeling from the "x" until you have removed all the skin. Vacuum seal or put in a zipper bag & freeze. If the skin is hard to remove, you need to let them boil a little longer, not too much. OR -

2.) Caramelize a lot of onion in some e.v. olive oil until golden brown. Season to taste w/ salt & pepper. Add fresh garlic & sautee til soft. Add about 2 cups of roughly chopped tomatoes with juice, fresh herbs of your choice or a couple of good shakes of italian seasoning, & a couple of glugs of red wine. Cook until reduced by 1/2 or to desired consistency (it's okay if it's still a little watery). Toss with hot pasta & sprinkle w/ fresh parmesan. Yummy!

Answer 5

If you know how to can you can do this. If you can't can plan on eating a lot of it.

Cut an X in the bottom of your tomatoes and put them in salted boiling water for about three minutes. When they come out put them immediately in ice water and peel the skins away and deseed. Sautee in olive oil with garlic and shallots. I suggest 1 clove of garlic and 1 shallot for every three tomatoes. Add about 2 cups of chicken stock and let simmer until it is about 1/3 less. Make sure you season well with salt and pepper. It will be a chunky sauce. This is really good and can be used in a variety of ways.

In a sautee pan get the sauce hot simmering again and add some seafood or fish. If you add fish, add it about five minutes before you add the seafood. Pour this on top of angel hair and fresh ripped basil.

Make a quick cooking polenta and let chill in a cookie sheet. Then cut into squares and sautee in a pan with a little olive oil until lightly browned. Top with the sauce and fresh parm cheese. It's a great appetizer. You can also do it with fresh bread.

You can also take this mixture and make a chili with it. I don't have a set recipe for chili, but the sauce makes a really great base. And it freezes really well.

You can also make a great soup with this. In a pan sautee onions, peppers, zucchini, carrots and salt and pepper. If you really like garlic add some extra. Just let them cook until slightly tender. Then add 1 quart of chicken stock and about 2 ladle fulls of the sauce mixture. Add about 1/4 c. of pasta (I prefer ditalini, but elbows will do), and a can of white beans. Top with parm cheese if you like it really rich.

Another thing I have done with this is mix 2 parts mayo with 1 part sauce and make a sandwich spread. I like to put this on a chicken sandwich with smoked mozz cheese and arugula.

Answer 6

Congratulations on a great crop =) here is a recipe for chili sauce and also a link to a lot of great recipes for fresh tomatoes =)

CHILI SAUCE

12 large tomatoes (peeled)
3 large sweet peppers
3 large onions
6 small hot peppers
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of vinegar
1 teaspoon cloves ground -- some salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon allspice

-- boil tomatoes awhile
-- add peppers and onions chopped fine
-- add vinegar and sugar
-- cook slowly
-- add spices and simmer till thick (4-5 hours)

Another thing you could do is take them to the soup kitchen-homeless shelter in your area... They will be put to good use there =)

Answer 7

Oh, I wish I could have some. My garden didn't produce any this year. Anyways, here's a nice salad recipe.

CUCUMBER & TOMATO SALAD

4 cups cucumbers, peeled and cut into chunks
4 cups tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 large red or green bell pepper, cut into chunks
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)
3 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped (optional)
1 cup crumbled or cubed feta cheese (optional)
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives (optional)
2 scallions, sliced (optional)
3 tabelspoons fresh lemon juice
3 tabelspoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. Chop the fresh vegetables as described and place in a large bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. If adding olives, feta, herbs, and/or scallion, spinkle them evenly over salad.
2. Mix the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl and set aside until ready to serve.
3. Pour the dressing over the vegetables, toss - and serve.

Answer 8

make a tomato salad with some salt and pepper, and some basil and balsamic vinegar. add some fresh mozzarella cheese on it and some greens and you're set!

or something refreshing like a gazpacho (cold tomato soup)

Ingredients (for 4 people):
1 Kilo tomatoes
1/2 small onion (60 grams)
1 small green pepper
1 small cucumber (the small chubby Spanish type)
1 small cup of olive oil
2 desert spoons of vinager
200 grams of bread from the day before, soaked in water
Small portions of diced tomatoes, red and green peppers, cucumber, onion and bread or croutons to sprinkle on top.

Steps:
1: Put the tomatoes, onion, pepper, cucumber, vinager, oil and bread into a liquidizer. If you want to dilute it, add a glass of water. Tip: if you want to go for a tangy garlic taste, add a small amount of fresh garlic to the mixture before liquidizing.

2: Put the mixture into a bowl, add salt and pepper and leave the gazpacho to chill for at least an hour. If you want to eat it straight away, you can put some ice cubes in to cool it down. Gazpacho is a Summer dish which is meant to hydrate and cool down your body. So the colder the better!!

3: Serve the gazpacho en soup bowls, with the portions of diced tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, onion, croutons etc on the table, so that everyone can add them to their bowl as they prefer. Tip: you can also sprinkle diced serrano ham or hard boiled egg.

Answer 9

In a Large pot.
Add enough EVO to sautee 2 medium Onions and a 12 oz carton of fresh mushrooms sliced and smashed garlic to taste.
Blanch the tomatoes in boling water to remove the skins then rough chop them up and place in the Pot. Simmer.
Add Parsley, Oregano, Basil, Salt, Pepper, Bay Leaf, to taste.
Simmer for hours. You may have to add evo as you go.

Answer 10

You can make tomatoe sauce, usually has to be mixed with tomato paste when ready to use, the grape tomoatoes cna be soaked in an itilian dressing for a few hours in the fridge and eaten just as they are.

Answer 11

I canned 16 pints of homemade salsa last night.

I also have tons of tomatoes.

I am going to make hot tomato juice this weekend.

I have never done spaghetti sauce but I am going to try.

You do know you can freeze tomatoes also for use later.