# Overwhelmed with Tomatoes!



## Constance (Aug 25, 2006)

You know how it is...you look forward to fresh tomatoes all winter...you wait and wait, anxiously anticipating that first sweet red tomato...then suddenly, you're covered up with them!
I don't need to put any up, as I still have plenty in the freezer from last year. 

I'm going to make another batch of salsa this evening, but does anyone have any other ideas as how to use them up?


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## sparrowgrass (Aug 25, 2006)

I don't know if I saw it on this site or another one--make roasted tomato sauce.  

Cut your tomatoes in half, and lay them out on a well oiled sheet pan.  Put some garlic cloves on there, too, and maybe chop an onion and a couple stalks of celery.  Roast at 400 for an hour.

Scrape everything into the food process, and blend til smooth.  

This uses up lots of tomatoes--as long as you have the oven on, make 2 sheet pans full, and either freeze or can the leftovers.  

Bet it would make good pizza sauce, too.


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## pdswife (Aug 25, 2006)

Iman Baildi
( ok..this only uses 1 cup...but it's good!)

3 lb Japanese eggplant ( you can use the big ones but the small taste so much better)

1 lb sweet onions sliced

3/4 cups olive oil ( I never use this much)

chopped parsley ( to taste)

1.5 cups tomatoes

2-3 cloves garlic ( more or less depending on your like of garlic)

1/4 tsp pepper

Wash and cut the stems off of the eggplant.
Make 2 slits down the leangth of each ( don't cut all the way through)
Let stand in salt water for 30 minutes, remove and squeeze out water.

Fry onions in oil until soft add garlic cook until that is soft but not brown and then add the rest of the seasonings and the chopped tomatoes.. Heat through.

Stuff the eggplants with this mixture and bake at  350 for 1 hour.

Yummy!


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## jennyema (Aug 25, 2006)

I gave a ton away to my family. Then to my neighbors.

Then I did exactly what Sparrowgrass suggested -- made roasted tomato sauce. I tossed my tomatoes --quartered, seeded big ones and whole cherries -- in olive oil and salt before I roasted them at 450 for abour 1/2 hour, then removed skins and cooked down some more with 1/2 cup red wine that was about to go bad, garlic and some more olive oil.

The sauce was *so* delicious!

And yes, sparrow, it made excellent pizza sauce!

I wish I had a gallon of it.


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## pdswife (Aug 25, 2006)

We have ONE that is just starting to turn red.  Things happen so much slower in WA.   lol.   Soon I'll be trying this too.  It sounds great.


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## ronjohn55 (Aug 25, 2006)

We've been making "Not sun dried" tomatos on our dehydrator. We cut them in half, sprinkle with salt and dehydrate. They taste so much better than the sun dried tomatos we can get in the store around here. 

We set it to about 125F and let 'em go, takes about 2 days for them to properly dry out. 

Then we'll use them in pasta dishes (or anything else that they might sound good in) for the rest of the fall/early winter. 

John


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## jennyema (Aug 25, 2006)

ronjohn55 said:
			
		

> We've been making "Not sun dried" tomatos on our dehydrator. We cut them in half, sprinkle with salt and dehydrate. They taste so much better than the sun dried tomatos we can get in the store around here.
> 
> We set it to about 125F and let 'em go, takes about 2 days for them to properly dry out.
> 
> ...


 
Do you use a special dehydrator or the oven?

My oven won't go as low as 125 ...


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## pdswife (Aug 25, 2006)

I have a dehydrator but always do my in the oven... ( add lots of spices too) I'll have to try the dehydrator  I bet it works better.


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## goodgiver (Aug 25, 2006)

*Overwhelmed with tomatoes*

You sound like me and ALL my cucumbers. I will tell you just what my fellow foodies told me when I asked for suggestions on what to do with all my cukes. They all told me to give them to soup kitchens, or chartiable orginaztions etc.


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## lulu (Aug 25, 2006)

If I had any spare tomatoes I would definitely be making some of that amzingly flavours clear tomato soup.  I dream of that stuff, and yet only made it once....I adore it though.  I was living off gazpacho earlier in the summer, its so easy to keep a jug of it in the fridge for lunches or a healthy snack.  My youngest niece fell in love with it this year, so that was a bonus too!  My favourite way to eat them though is quickly stewed with butter, pinch sugar and salt and pepper on toast for breakfast.  Simplicity with beautiful fresh ingrediants always wins!


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## CookSource (Aug 25, 2006)

I dont know the size of them but its always nice to make a tomato salid, where you carve out the insides and make a nice like apple stuff salid .. so good ..


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## lulu (Aug 25, 2006)

Oh yes, stuffed tomatoes...I do them with the tomato flesh, breadcrumbs, cheddar and sometimes a little tomato sauce reduced down to make it strong, and lots of parsley.  There are moans if they don't appear as an extra when we have any form of roast.


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## ronjohn55 (Aug 25, 2006)

jennyema said:
			
		

> Do you use a special dehydrator or the oven?
> 
> My oven won't go as low as 125 ...


 
We have one of those American Harvest Dehydrators. Works like a champ for things like this. This it it - http://www.nesco.com/products/?category=300&subcat=100&id=36

I'm hoping to end up with more dried tomatos than I know what to do with.  

John


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## ChefJune (Aug 25, 2006)

sparrowgrass said:
			
		

> I don't know if I saw it on this site or another one--make roasted tomato sauce.
> 
> Cut your tomatoes in half, and lay them out on a well oiled sheet pan. Put some garlic cloves on there, too, and maybe chop an onion and a couple stalks of celery. Roast at 400 for an hour.
> 
> ...


This recipe sounds delicious, but it seems to me if you roast vegetables at 400 Degrees for an HOUR you will end up with cinders.  Are you sure you want the oven to be that hot?


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## mish (Aug 25, 2006)

Connie, here's an article I enjoyed reading with lots of tips for Freezer-Tomato Sauce:

http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2005/0907/life/stories/03life.htm

I think you can make your own sun-dried tomatoes, as well.  (I may have the recipe, if you're interested.)


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## sparrowgrass (Aug 25, 2006)

ChefJune said:
			
		

> This recipe sounds delicious, but it seems to me if you roast vegetables at 400 Degrees for an HOUR you will end up with cinders. Are you sure you want the oven to be that hot?


 
Yep, I tried it.  I did check it frequently, and some of the veggies were getting brown (not black) which adds to the flavor.  

I cut the tomatoes in half, and they were medium sized.

If you are worried, set your time for half an hour, and go from there.


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## jennyema (Aug 25, 2006)

ChefJune said:
			
		

> This recipe sounds delicious, but it seems to me if you roast vegetables at 400 Degrees for an HOUR you will end up with cinders. Are you sure you want the oven to be that hot?


 

I do mine at 450!  Just call me Barbara Kafka.

Usually takes about 1/2 hour or so depending on how many I am roasting.   You get really wonderful carmelization.


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## Constance (Aug 25, 2006)

Mish, that was a great article...thanks for the info. I thought it was a given that I had to peel the tomatoes unless I ran them through a food mill. Chris had some good ideas about that.
Thing about roasting tomatoes is that my Romas are just now starting to come on, and those are the ones I like to roast. What I have now are mostly round slicers...they are much juicier and have more seeds than the Romas. Still, I suppose I could give it a try. If I roasted them in halves, and picked the skin off after roasting, I could use them in soups in stews. 
I still have a lot of sauce left in the freezer from last year. I was used to cooking for a teenage boy, and now that it's just Kim and me, we don't go through nearly as much food. 
Tonight I'm going to make a fresh batch of salsa, and then tomorrow, I'll tie into roasting, while Kim is gone to a car show. 
I still haven't tried stuffed tomatoes, though I have several recipes. That's on my list of things to do. 

Goodgiver, my son-in-law also has an overabundance of cucumbers, and he didn't even plant any. He's working my ex FIL's garden, and they all came up volunteer. He's made pickles and given a bunch away. 

By the way, my peppers are just starting to come on. I only planted 6 plants, but then I only planted 8 tomato plants. It might be interesting to roast some of them in with the tomatoes.


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## thecactuswill (Aug 26, 2006)

I heard something about freezing tomatoes that decreases the quality or something like that.

My grandpa owns a farm and raises tomatoes.  He cans them which also decreases the quality, but it can be done right.

He cans them in glass jars and stores them in the cellar with no light.  Its like having your very own storage facility of organic tomatoes at your disposal.


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## kadesma (Aug 26, 2006)

_Connie,_
_how about a tomatoe and cheese, herb tart for some of the slicing tomatoes? I'm making one for tomorrow I think and will use Gruyere and Parmesan, basil and thyme and maybe a little rosemary. If this will help let me know and I'll send you the recipe._

_kadesma _


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## Constance (Aug 26, 2006)

Mmm, yum, Kadesma. That sounds very good. I'd love to have the recipe please!

Should I thaw some piecrust?


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## kadesma (Aug 26, 2006)

Constance said:
			
		

> Mmm, yum, Kadesma. That sounds very good. I'd love to have the recipe please!
> 
> Should I thaw some piecrust?


Yes Connie, I'm using a pie crust, I also am going to lightly salt and put the tomatoes on a rack to drip before baking them. I plan to coat the pie crust with dijon mustard,then scatter about 3/4 of a lb. of Gruyere cheese I'm gratting over the bottom, then I'm going to blot the tomatoes and layer them on top of the cheese sprinkle with the herbs, I'm using a mix of parsley, basil, thyme and a little bit of rosemary, then top that with salt, pepper and oh maybe 3-4 Tab. of parmesan  you can use more or less as you like. And then give everything a light drizzle of evoo and bake...I bake at 375 til the top is light brown, in my oven it takes about 25 minutes.
This is fun and tasty and you can change the cheeses around as you want.
enjoy friend,
kadesma


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## Constance (Aug 26, 2006)

Thank you friend...I'm salivating. Question: are you going to put it in a pie pan, or just lay it out on a baking sheet and fold the sides up like a galette?


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## kadesma (Aug 26, 2006)

Constance said:
			
		

> Thank you friend...I'm salivating. Question: are you going to put it in a pie pan, or just lay it out on a baking sheet and fold the sides up like a galette?


I'm using a 9 inch tart pan, but a pie pan would work too. I don't trust my crust as a galette and the last thing I need is to chase tomatoes around the oven But that would be a really pretty way to present this. As a galette, not chasing them 

kadesma


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## Robo410 (Aug 26, 2006)

roasted tomato sauce is so good. and a great way to use up too many at once.


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## BreezyCooking (Aug 26, 2006)

Dice them up into Western &/or Spanish omelettes.  Be very British, & saute slices of them to serve alongside breakfast eggs.  Halve them, top with breadcrumbs & grated cheese, & broil to serve as a dinnertime vegetable/garnish.

There are literally hundreds of ways to use fresh tomatoes.  If you do a websearch you'll probably run out of tomatoes before you do recipes - lol!!!!


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## karadekoolaid (Aug 26, 2006)

jennyema said:
			
		

> Do you use a special dehydrator or the oven?
> 
> My oven won't go as low as 125 ...


 
I cut the tomatoes in half, sprinkle with plenty of sea salt, place on a baking sheet and dry in the oven at 200º overnight. Usually takes 8-10 hours and I can do about 2-3 kilos at a time. 

Got a grill? Make some smoked tomato chutney. 1 kg tomatoes, cut in halves, 
400 gms onion, cut in halves, 500 gms brown sugar, 250 mls vinegar, a tbsp of chipoltle chile in adobo, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 tsp cumin, salt. Grill the tomatoes and onions on the grill until you get nice black marks on them. Set aside. 
Place all the other ingredients in a large stainless steel pan. Roughly chop the tomatoes and onions and add them to the pan. Bring to a boil and cook for about 25-30 minutes until you get a thickish chutney. Bottle in sterilised jars and water bath for 20 minutes. Great with anything grilled! Wonderful with cheddar cheese sandwiches.


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## QSis (Aug 26, 2006)

Just found this link on Food TV's site http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/re_collections/article/0,1977,FOOD_11656_4904815,00.html#fresh

Looks like some nice recipe ideas here.

Lee


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## QSis (Aug 26, 2006)

Also, found these recipes for Tomato Pies in my own files.  Some similar ones, so I mix them up and use the best of what I want when I make them.

Lee

Hot Tomato pie

1-(5-count) can biscuits
1-med onion chopped red or yellow
2-tea. veggie oil
2- large tomatoes, sliced thin, he used the smaller romas and put in about 5-6 of them he likes it thicker.
1-tea. chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/3-c. mayo
1/2-c. each shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese

Press the biscuits into the bottom and sides of a greased 9 in. pie pan for the crust. Saute onion in the oil til tender. Layer the onions and tomatoe into the pie tin. Sprinkle with chili powder,salt and pepper. Combine mayo cheddar and mozzarella cheeses in bowl and mix well. Spread this over the top of the tomatoe and onions..Bake at 350 for 30-35 min..Let stand about 10 min then serve..
serves 6

kadesma 
 
*Tomato Pie Recipe*

Lone Star
2212 State Park Road
Santee, SC 29142
803-854-2000

Serves approximately 15 people as a side dish
 
Ingredients:
 
10 Medium, ripe tomatoes, washed, cored, and sliced
1 ¼ C Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 C Mayonnaise, “Dukes” preferred for this recipe
1 Tbs. Onion, grated or minced fine
15 slices “day old” bread
Salt & pepper to taste – Kosher salt best to use
 
The ingredients and method for this recipe are very simple.  Thanks to Sara Davis of Charleston for the original recipe from which this one was derived.

1. Prepare cheese spread by combining mayonnaise, cheddar cheese, and grated onion. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
2. Grease a 9” x 12” casserole dish with butter, olive oil, or pan spray. Layer the bottom evenly with 7 slices of the bread cut into medium sized cubes.
3. Create a layer of tomatoes, by overlapping them in “shingle” fashion the length of the casserole. (It is important to use the freshest and ripest you can find). Usually a casserole will require 4 rows using 5 medium-sized tomatoes, give or take, depending on the size of the tomatoes. Season liberally with salt and pepper.
4. Trim crusts away from remaining 8 slices of bread and arrange them on top so that they cover the entire surface area of the tomatoes.
5. Spread the slices with the cheddar cheese spread. Cover well but don’t be tempted to use too much or the “pie” may become soggy. Reserve some for step 
6. Arrange the remaining tomatoes in the same manner as before. We like to reserve the nicest looking tomato slices for the top. Season again with salt and pepper.
7. Dollop the rest of the cheese mixture in rows across the top, or in whatever design you like.
8. Bake your casserole, uncovered, in an oven preheated to 375°F for approximately 25 minutes, or until the cheese mixture becomes golden brown. It is now ready to serve.
 
Options:  This tomato pie can be dressed up with the addition of fresh herbs to the cheese mixture. Try basil, marjoram, or oregano. It can also be baked in a pre-cooked pie shell, homemade or otherwise, only omit the bread and be sure to blot your tomato slices with a dry towel first.

Tomato Pie

Serves: 4 to 6 

Ingredients:

1 recipe of your favorite pie crust 
*or* frozen prepared pie crust for one 9 inch (25 cm) pie 
4 to 6 medium-sized ripe tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick 
1/4 cup (60 ml) roughly chopped basil leaves 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 
1 - 1/2 cup (375 ml) mayonnaise 
1 - 1/2 cup shredded white cheddar, Monterey Jack, or cheese of your choice 
Bake the pie crust empty in a 350F (180C) oven for 10 minutes, then allow to cool. Place a layer of tomato slices in the bottom, sprinkle with some of the basil, and add salt and pepper to taste. Repeat until the pie is filled to about 1/2 inch (1 cm) to 1/4 inch (5 mm) of the rim. Mix the mayonnaise and cheese together and spoon over the tomatoes, spreading it evenly over the contents of the pie. Bake in a 350F (180C) oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
 
Stuffed Tomatoes:

2 cans Italian tuna in olive oil, drained and flaked 
1 can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped 
2 ribs celery, chopped 
1/2 medium red onion, chopped 
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, a couple of handfuls, chopped 
3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley, a handful 
1 lemon, zested and juiced 
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling 
Salt and pepper 
6 vine ripe tomatoes, red, yellow, or mixed 
 
Stuff hollowed tomatoes with stuffing.
 
 
*Smoked Stuffed Tomatoes*
*
I made this for dinner last night and was quite pleased with the
results. It came out with a nice smoky flavor and the filling was
great. The changes I made, just can't resist, I added bacon and
doubled the garlic and oregano and chopped up a jalapeno and put in
it. *
*joe *
*
Smoked Stuffed Tomatoes *
*Recipe By : Cookshack
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories :
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------
--------------------------------
3 Large Firm Tomatoes
6 Ounces Artichoke Hearts - Marinated
10 Ounces Frozen Spinach -- Chopped
5 Green Onion -- Chopped
8 Ounces Cream Cheese -- Room Temperature
2 Tablespoons Sour Cream
1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese -- Grated
Salt And Pepper -- To Taste
Bread Crumbs -- Dried *
*Cut tomatoes in half down the stem side. Cut out stems and scoop out
all pulp and seeds. Dry inside and out with paper towels. Sprinkle
salt and pepper into each half. *
*Drain and chop artichoke hearts. Squeeze all moisture from chopped
spinach. Chop green onions. Combine chopped ingredients with cream
cheese, sour cream, oregano, and Parmesan cheese. Mix well and stuff
each tomato half heaping full. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top. *
*Place tomato halves on smoker rack and smoke for 30 to 40 minutes at
225 degrees or until done to your liking. Do not over cook.
Tomatoes should be still somewhat firm to the touch so they don't
fall apart after cooking. *
*Recommended wood for smoking: Hickory*


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## XeniA (Aug 28, 2006)

Constance -- I'd kill to be in your position! Can you advise growing tips? My hubby tried one year and whatever disease didn't get, the dog ate (odd what she likes -- right off the vine!).

As for what to do with them, make a passata out of them and reduce as much as you're comfortable with, then freeze them in ice cube trays. It's a handy way to use them and easy to store.


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## thumpershere2 (Aug 28, 2006)

I just canned 20qts of tomtoes and have 20 more qts to do and then I am going to try making the dried tomatoes. Thanks for all the good recipes here for different uses.


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## Sephora (Aug 28, 2006)

My SIL makes her taco meat using a beef roast, any kind, 2 tomatoes, garlic, an onion, salt and pepper.  Slow cook for 8 - 10 hours.  The meat falls apart and you have meat for tacos or burritos.  It's really good and simple.


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## urmaniac13 (Aug 28, 2006)

*La Tomatina in your backyard!!*

I already suggested this to GB who was also faced with similar situation... don't you think this would be fun?


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