I bought too many tomatoes

just a head's up. I've been given a LOT of heritage tomatoes in the past two weeks and they, sadly, do NOT roast well. Basically, they turn to mush. An earlier experience roasting tomatoes used beef steak tomatoes...and they work perfectly.

So the heritage didn't work for tomato pie roasting, but I roasted some with a much shorter time (peels did not come off as easily) and made one of my favorite soups: tomato fennel.


For the cherry tomatoes, I tried this appetizer from "Six California Kitchens" from the original owners of the French Kitchen. You blanch the tomatoes in boiling water (she recommends 2-3 seconds...I had to go to 10 seconds) and then immediately in ice water. Once dry, pinch the stem end and the peel should pull off easily. Marinate just before serving in a vodka/balsamic mixture. I had to bump up the balsamic (dried cherry version) and add touch of agave, but it was really quite lovely. Served with tiny bruschetta toasts and the gruyere cocktail biscuits.


IMG_9694.jpg IMG_9665.JPG
IMG_9666 2.jpg
 
Last edited:
just a head's up. I've been given a LOT of heritage tomatoes in the past two weeks and they, sadly, do NOT roast well. Basically, they turn to mush. An earlier experience roasting tomatoes used beef steak tomatoes...and they work perfectly.

So the heritage didn't work for tomato pie roasting, but I roasted some with a much shorter time (peels did not come off as easily) and made one of my favorite soups: tomato fennel.


For the cherry tomatoes, I tried this appetizer from "Six California Kitchens" from the original owners of the French Kitchen. You blanch the tomatoes in boiling water (she recommends 2-3 seconds...I had to go to 10 seconds) and then immediately in ice water. Once dry, pinch the stem end and the peel should pull off easily. Marinate just before serving in a vodka/balsamic mixture. I had to bump up the balsamic (dried cherry version) and add touch of agave, but it was really quite lovely. Served with tiny bruschetta toasts and the gruyere cocktail biscuits.


View attachment 3554 View attachment 3552
View attachment 3553
I found that while they look pretty when you can them, most heirlooms don't seem to can well. They tend to be to watery, too sweet, and the texture doesn't do well. I know there have to be some heirloom canning tomatoes but that is not what you see at the farmers markets or see seeds for sale of ones that say they are for canning. I wish we had thought to keep the names, logs or something of the varieties of vegetables my grandmother grew because I want to replicate the things she canned and froze. The hybrid sweet corn just doesn't make a creamed corn like the old field corn. And some beans labeled as butter beans DO NOT taste like why I grew up knowing as butter beans. It's like they are a different bean almost - in texture, color, and taste. Most of what is out there is what I hated growing up, lima beans!!!
 
Back
Top