What should I do with all of the green peppers and tomatoes my Dad keeps giving me? From his garden?

Question

They are sooo yummy!! I give them away, but they just keep growing!! So far I made salsa, BLTs, and I made a hashbrown mix with shredded potatoes, onions, and peppers to keep in my freezer. I also gave a bag to my parents. What else? ANY ideas are wecome!!

Answer 1

I agree that roasting, peeling and packing the peppers is a great idea, but I think that the very best way to enjoy harvest tomatoes all year round is by slow roasting them, and then freezing for a taste of summer in the dark days of winter.

It's really easy to do. Cut the tomatoes in half, place on a baking sheet, and drizzle a little olive oil and salt over the tops. Bake in a very low oven 150 degrees, for about 6-8 hours. When they're done, they will have shrank in size, and become slightly caremalized; and the intensity of tomato flavor is incredible. Great for tomato sauces, in chilli or stew, for an easy pizza sauce ...or whatever!

These freeze very well in zip lock bags.

Answer 2

You can just wash your peppers and slice in half to remove the seeds and stem, then pop them in a ziplock and freeze them for use in any cooked item throughout the winter...stews, pot roasts, spaghetti sauce, chili, etc.

If you like stewed tomatoes, both the tomatoes and peppers along with some celery is good. It also freezes well.

You could make tomato soup or sauce.

Blanch the tomatoes and then skin them. Cut roughly and put the pot on the stove to start cooking down. If you don't like the seeds in it, remove using a pureer or food mill. After they're blanched, you can cook with them now or freeze them.

Fresh peppers with dill dip disappear faster at our house than the carrots and celery sticks. Add fresh pepper to your fresh salads or mac/pot salads.

Enjoy the bounties from your father's garden or share them with friends, neighbors or food banks while they're still fresh!

Answer 3

How bout italian meat sauce? You can use this for spaghetti sauce, baked ziti, lasagna, etc.

The benefits of this:

You can customize the product with other veggies from the garden. Zucchini may be coming in. You can add mushrooms, carrots, onions, garlic, etc. all as desired. I would puree and freeze them as they come out of the garden, until you have enough to make a batch of sauce, then thaw and cook up. A super chunky sauce will not be good for this because the veg will all get mushy from being frozen, so just mush them up from the beginning. The flavor will be just as intense and that is what you want.

You can also repeat the entire process of making the sauce as many times as needed to make use of the harvest.

Some ingredients that will be essential to help with this sauce:

Ground turkey, I can get it frozen for $1.27 a pound at Walmart. I mix the plain turkey with breakfast sausage flavor, and it gives an incredible italian flavor. Of course you can use hamburger or ground pork but ground turkey is healthier than either and the price is unbeatable.

Beef broth will boost flavor. I use canned store brand at 50 cents per can, I can per pot.

Fresh parsley, basil are delicious. A bay leaf in each pot, and some ground oregano...

Sugar or sweetner, about 4 tablespoons per pot, will cut the acidic whang of the tomatos.

TO MAKE the sauce:

1 brown meat, drain, and add to a stockpot.
2 add herbs and spices, sugar
3 add veggie puree and beef broth
4 simmer covered, at least 30 minutes, you can't overcook.
5 remove from heat, allow to cool
6 get your sharpie and your zipper bags, meal size for you, and label with date and contents.
7 coffee cup the sauce into the bags
8 remove extra air and seal
9 freeze flat, when it is frozen it can stand up or stack, you can "file it" in the freezer.

Have fun with this customizable idea.

Answer 4

When the garden grows way too fast and I absolutely can't stand the thought of cooking or canning any more produce I check with local homless shelters and food banks to see if the can use them (some will some won't take home grown food) If that dosen't work and the neighbors run when they see you coming. Put them on peoples car seats if they leave them unlocked and run! lol that's a joke people. You should be able to find someone in need who would really appriciate the food.

Answer 5

Stuffed green peppers with fresh tomatoes, cheese, beef and rice.

You can dry the tomatoes and then ad them to jars with garlic and olive oil. They make good gifts too.

Green peppers are also good grilled. Add a few other veggies like eggplant, zuchini, and even some of your tomatoes and make a grilled veggie lazagna.

Answer 6

dice the tomatoes, and peppers add some onions salt and pepper and a good Italiain dressing to it. Let it stand 3-4 hours toss in some olives and you got lunch serve with crusty bread

Answer 7

Send some to me, I love veggies, stir fries are good, quick and easy, make a pasta sauce with the tomatoes or batches of soup, stuffed peppers are great, fill with leftovers and tomatoes, gosh, there is so much you can do... try something new, invent a dish, your lucky, veg today costs heaps and all yours is free x

Answer 8

Stewed tomatoes & spaghetti sauce - these can be frozen in Ziploc bags.

Ask your dad to let the green bell peppers ripen & roast them. You can store the roasted peppers in olive oil.

De-seed the tomatoes & peppers. Add parsley or cilantro, onion & garlic. Whir in a food processor. Freeze this mix in ice cube trays or small bags. It can be used to add flavor to rice dishes, soups & stews.

Answer 9

You may think about possibly canning them if it is possible to can them to keep for later. Also, may might consider having a party to where you can use some of the vegetables your dad is giving you to make for a dish or appetizers. Such as stuffed peppers or stuffed tomatoes.

Answer 10

You can freeze the tomatoes, and make stuffed green peppers. Use green peppers stuffed raw with tuna or chicken salad for a yummy lunch.