No such thing as too many maters.

If for any reason, you are having issues knowing what to do with your tomatoes, please send them my way.  I will can them, cut them and eat them whole.  For more recipe inspiration, cut up some red and yellow lovelies, drizzle with olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh basil and then toss with whole wheat pasta, kalamata olives, spinach and feta. Easy meal, and so good.

Water Bath Canning: Tomato Sauce

I went to a great canning class at Lavender Fields Farm this past Saturday.  We learned how to safely preserve this summer's harvest and how to feed our families all year long.  The instructor, Nicole, is very knowledgeable and I would strongly suggest taking one of her classes.  She has a passion for growing her family's food and herbs organically on their 21 acres of farmland in Glen Allen.

I want to share some of what I learned, but by no way is this a tutorial as to how you should prepare your food.  This serves merely as documentation of the process.  I gently suggest that if canning interests you, that you either take a class and/or learn more about the logistics.  Food safety is nothing to mess around with and I'm not trying to give you botulism.

I began with approximately 30 pounds of tomatoes from my friend and farmer, Russ, from Edible Old Dominion.  

I went to Kroger and got my supplies:
canning jars, large funnel, can holder, magnetic lid lifter (doubles as an air bubble remover) and not shown, a water bath canner dipping rack. (mine is plastic and I long for a metal one)

I cut the onions, which couldn't be sauteed in oil, since it affects the canning process.  Instead they were sauteed in water.  The Family Secret Tomato Sauce recipe was suggested by our teacher Nicole, was from a great book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

This is the sauce after it simmered for a few hours.  The recipe said it would make 6-7 quarts.  Mine made 8 quarts. Juicy tomatoes?  I only deseeded the first 2 quarts of the tomato puree, which will be a lesson for next time, since I never really notice seeds in store bought sauce.  The consistency is also more watery than most sauces, but it can be thickened and additional veggies or meat added once opened.

In addition to having clean, sterile jars, caps and rings, the jars should soak in clean, hot water, awaiting the hot liquid to enter without breaking the jar.

Time to spoon the sauce into the jars, leaving about an inch of room from fill to lid.  A plastic utensil should be used to scrape the sides to prevent any air bubbles.  Add 2tsp of lemon juice per quart jar to insure the right acidity level. Apply lid and ring, but not too tight.  Prepare a stock pot with boiling water so the water bath canning process can begin.  It's also a good idea to have a kettle on the burner, so you can insure that the submerged jars are completely covered in at least two to three inches of water in the stock pot.  Cover and wait 35 minutes.

This jar is ready to come out, sit and do it's thing.  Hearing the "plink" of the seal is a cool reminder of your success.  You may also tap the lid to assist the seal.  If for some reason it doesn't, refridgerate and consume the product within two to three days.  I was only able to do three quarts at once, so I had to do this time consuming step numerous times.  It was getting late as you can see by the clock in the background.

Eight quarts of tomato sauce that can be stored for up to a year.  I'm feeling like Laura Ingalls after slaving in a hot, trashed kitchen for most of the day.  I'm looking forward to trying some of the sauce tomorrow and adding fresh garlic and fresh basil, since only the dried versions were allowed in this recipe. 

CSA Tomato Beauties

We have a CSA share through Edible Old Dominion, and are enjoying the fresh, local produce.  Tomatoes are really coming in, so I enjoyed making this appetizer for me and a friend this afternoon.  Simply slice up the tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil, salt, freshly ground pepper, sliced fresh basil and Trader Joe's Quattro Formaggio.  Heaven.

Later for dinner, I made this broccoli side inspired by The Barefoot Contessa's Best Broccoli of Your Life recipe.  Preheat oven to 425.  Toss broccoli florets in olive oil and minced garlic and a little salt.  Put on a baking sheet for 20-25 minutes (or more depending on how crispy you like it).  The last three minutes of baking take the baking sheet out and add pine nuts for roasting.  Mix it all together, and dice up a tomato.  You can even spritz with fresh lemon, and sprinkle with parmesan, but it's great as is.  Roasting the broccoli brings out a sweetness and texture that is never possible from just steaming.

My Suburban Garden

The suburbs are a state of mind.  One day, I will have more land to grow on, but for now I am enjoying honing my gardening skills on a small scale.  This is my third year growing using Square Foot Gardening by Mel Barthomew.  The cool thing was this year, I got to use my own compost instead of buying it.

As you can see my greens up front are picked (chard and some bibb lettuce and my spinach has bolted).  My tomatoes are ripening, but I've had a visit from this annoying pest.  The tomato hornworm.  I may not have even noticed him right away, had it not been for a half-eaten green, cherry tomato that had me come in for closer inspection.  Interesting looking fellow, but he and a friend massacred this plant down to only the stalk by the time I came back from Floydfest.  This was a plant in a pot, feet away from my my garden plot, but it has found it's way to the others, and I'm having a heck of a time finding it since it blends in so well. I will try to find the bastards tomorrow.

 I still have plenty of cucumbers, though, which have been fun to pick.  My first cantaloupe is growing, which is exciting, especially since I lost two watermelons to blossom rot.  Apparently, that is caused by a calcium deficiency, so a friend suggested I crush up some Tums and add it to the water.  That's what I did tonight after harvesting most of my basil for the pesto.  My garden is still organic even with a little crushed antacid, right?  Maybe not, but it's fun to learn about growing my own food.

Dinner from the Garden

Watch out Mekong, I think I have finally managed to make tofu as crispy and delicious as yours.  It took some drying (used clean dish towels since I don't buy paper towels), and then I sliced the block of tofu into four lengthwise sections.  Cut each section into four triangles and tossed in a pan with olive oil, salt and freshly ground pepper.

I made fresh basil pesto using this recipe and put it on the tofu.  I diced up a cucumber and tomato from the garden and poured a homemade balsamic vinaigrette with fresh parsley over it.  Growing your own food and eating it is fun!

With the leftover pesto, you can freeze it, and use it over Trader Joe's Gnocchi, which we had for dinner later this week.  Or you can make pesto quesadillas, using tortillas, tomatoes, spinach, cheese and pesto.  They rule and are plain, simple and thrifty, my friends.