The Lord brought to our attention that a family near Dad's home was in need, so much of the first harvest went to them.
Salsa was the fruit of the first tomato harvest. Apple cider vinegar, mild garlic (a lot), cilantro, onions (sweet and yellow), and freshly-squeezed lime juice are the primary ingredients added to chopped tomatoes. This batch was heavy on the lime, and I liked that about it. We shared much of it with people with whom we minister in children's ministries at our church.
The second tomato harvest went into a marinara sauce and homemade stewed tomatoes. The marinara sauce began with roasted tomatoes (quartered and plummed), smothered in sauteed sweet and yelllow onions, banana peppers, as well as mild and spicy garlic. Dad had planted red, yellow, and pink heirloom tomatoes, in addition to yellow pear, red Roma, and other cherry-variety tomatoes.
After an hour of roasting at 250 degrees, the mix was removed from the oven, cooled for a bit, and then, run through the blender. Over the last few years that I have made bulk batches of marinara to freeze, I have discovered that the more cherry tomatoes I use, the thicker the sauce because more skins are in the mix.
Next was the stewed tomatoes. These are so easy to make! I boiled (blanched) the tomatoes for one minute. Then, after the skins were removed, I plumbed (removed the core) and quartered them. Once in the stock pot, I added chopped celery, chopped yellow onions (just a bit), salt, pepper, and seasoning salt. I have used Tastefully Simple and Lawry's, being satisfied with both. Tender, sliced and cored okra can be added also.
It doesn't look like your run of the mill stewed tomatoes, but the taste is far better than any canned version. As usual, it is the common, simple parts of life (the lowercase parts) that are so fulfilling (the uppercase moments).
I am going to have to try one of these recipes with the last of my tomato harvest. Looks delicious!
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