It’s the end of the tomato season, but there is still time for you to stash some organic heirloom tomatoes away for a chilly winter day. [Read more...]
It’s Time to Preserve the Harvest Again: Diced Tomatoes
August 22, 2011 · by · 6 Comments
Last year I posted this when I was working on recipes for my book. This was my canning work around. I hate having the stove on when it’s hot outside. But I wanted to enjoy cheap, organic heirlooms all winter and spring – and I did!
Another plus is that you can freeze heirlooms that aren’t acidic enough to can.
So, go by some ugly, not perfect, seconds tomatoes this weekend. Ask the farmers and you’ll probably get a box cheap. Then you can enjoy them all winter long!
This is an easy, free-form recipe. Give it a try and you’ll feel that satisfaction when you use your handy work in soups and stews later in the year. Try to cook the tomatoes on the same day you buy them if at all possible.
Buy Inexpensive Fresh Tomatoes
At the farmers market, select tomatoes that are not over ripe or mushy. With that being said I try to buy up all the imperfect tomatoes at my market. They are sometimes called ugly, seconds, or another creative word to let you know why they are less per pound than the perfect tomatoes. Many times you can buy these at 1/3 of the perfect tomato price, making it even more of a bargain.
Even when you are buying tomato seconds, make sure it’s a cosmetic reason it’s put in the discount bin and not that it’s past it’s prime. Your tomatoes will be no better than the product you start with.
Let’s Get Started
There is an easy way to judge how many tomatoes you can cook at one time in your slow cooker, no matter if you are using a 2 quart or a 6 quart.
- Rinse off the whole tomatoes.
- Take the whole tomato and put them in your crock one at a time until they are peeking out over the rim.
- Remove the tomatoes and now you will prep them for cooking.
- Dice the tomatoes. Make sure to remove the top of the stem, and any bruised or mushy parts.
- Put the diced tomatoes and their juice in the slow cooker.
- Cook on low 6 to 8 hours, or on high for about 3 hours.
Get Ready to Freeze
Make sure the tomatoes are completely cool before freezing them. Many times I cool it in the fridge before I pack them.
Weck canning jars have glass lids and a rubber gasket and are my new favorite thing to freeze tomatoes in. It does take longer to defrost, but your tomatoes never come into contact with BPA or plastic!
Or you can use a freezer safe container, or a re-closable plastic bag that says it’s for the freezer. Those bags are thicker and help it stay fresh longer. The bags are easy to stack in the smallest freezer. I put about 1 1/2 cups (the size of 1 can of tomatoes) per bag, push the air out, and close. Wipe the outside of the bag off to make sure it’s dry, or they will freeze together. Stack them on top of one another.
How to Use
Pull a bag out the night before you need it and thaw it in the fridge. Or, since the bag is so thin, run cold water over the bag in the sink. Most of all, enjoy not going out to the store to buy a can of tomatoes in the middle of a snow storm!
Preserve the Harvest – Diced Tomatoes
September 2, 2010 · by · Leave a Comment
Hello again! I am still super busy working on the book, but I am allowed to put up a couple of recipes that will be in it as I go along. This is my current favorite, because it’s near the end of tomato season. This year I’ve opted not to can because of the heat and well, my kitchen is a mess from test cooking everyday too.
Every Saturday in August I cooked 10 – 15 pounds of tomatoes to freeze. The hard part is cutting the tomatoes, but after that it’s easy street all the way. You don’t even have to babysit them while they cook!
The only thing as good as a fresh picked, perfectly ripe tomato in the middle of summer, is opening the freezer in January and pulling out a bag of summer tomatoes that you put up yourself. In the hot summer the last thing I want to do is have the stove on all day. So, an alternative to canning fruits and veggies is freezing them.
Here’s an easy, free-form recipe. Give it a try and you’ll feel that satisfaction when you use your handy work in soups and stews later in the year. Try to cook the tomatoes on the same day you buy them if at all possible.
Buy Inexpensive Fresh Tomatoes
At the farmers market, select tomatoes that are not over ripe or mushy. With that being said I try to buy up all the imperfect tomatoes at my market. They are sometimes called ugly, seconds, or another creative word to let you know why they are less per pound than the perfect tomatoes. Many times you can buy these at 1/3 of the perfect tomato price, making it even more of a bargain.
Even when you are buying tomato seconds, make sure it’s a cosmetic reason it’s put in the discount bin and not that it’s past it’s prime. Your tomatoes will be no better than the product you start with.
Let’s Get Started
There is an easy way to judge how many tomatoes you can cook at one time in your slow cooker, no matter if you are using a 2 quart or a 6 quart.
- Rinse off the whole tomatoes.
- Take the whole tomato and put them in your crock one at a time until they are peeking out over the rim.
- Remove the tomatoes and now you will prep them for cooking.
- Dice the tomatoes. Make sure to remove the top of the stem, and any bruised or mushy parts.
- Put the diced tomatoes and their juice in the slow cooker.
- Cook on low 6 to 8 hours, or on high for about 3 hours.
Get Ready to Freeze
Make sure the tomatoes are completely cool before freezing them. Many times I cool it in the fridge before I pack them.
You can use a freezer safe container, or a re-closable plastic bag that says it’s for the freezer. Those bags are thicker and help it stay fresh longer. The bags are easy to stack in the smallest freezer. I put about 1 1/2 cups (the size of 1 can of tomatoes) per bag, push the air out, and close. Wipe the outside of the bag off to make sure it’s dry, or they will freeze together. Stack them on top of one another.
How to Use
Pull a bag out the night before you need it and thaw it in the fridge. Or, since the bag is so thin, run cold water over the bag in the sink. Most of all, enjoy not going out to the store to buy a can of tomatoes in the middle of a snow storm!
Slow Cooker Bunch of Beans Soup
January 28, 2010 · by · 6 Comments
You can get bean mixes at any supermarket. Many bags of mixed beans have a ham seasoning packet in them. Sometimes they are labeled as if they have meat in them, but they don’t. Just discard the powder ham packet and get to cooking some vegetarian soup!
I use one of my favorite ingredients in this recipe – Garlic Tabasco. It’s not as spicy as regular Tabasco, but adds a great flavor to soups. It’s not as easy to find, but you can order some online. Try this store locator on the Tabasco site to see if there is any near you. They don’t carry it near me anymore, but I have friends that can bring it to me from Louisiana. I’m a lucky girl!
Slow Cooker Bunch of Beans Soup (gluten-free)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 – 8 hours
- 1 package 16 bean mix (or 16 oz. mix of any beans that you have)
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 – 8 cups filtered water
- 1 Tb Better than Bouillon Not-Chicken Flavor (or use veggie broth to replace the filtered water)
- 1 Tb Cajun Seasoning Blend (make your own with these recipes)
- 1 tsp. Liquid Smoke
- 1 tsp. Garlic Tabasco
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 1 sweet potato, chopped
- 1- 15 oz can Muir Glenn fire roasted tomatoes (crushed or diced)
- 2 Cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Onion, minced
- 1 Bell pepper, diced
The night before: Chop all the veggies and put in the fridge until the morning. Add the beans, water, and bay leaves into the slow cooker. Cook on low overnight.
In the morning: Add more water if needed. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook on low for 6-8 hours.
Serve with a big hunk of cornbread.
Slow Cooker Meatless Tortilla Soup
January 22, 2010 · by · 11 Comments
I love tortilla soup and it’s hard to find a good vegetarian version when you’re out. So this is just another excuse to stay in and save some more money. Serve it with a salad topped with black beans, green chilies, and salsa to make a complete meal.
Slow Cooker Meatless Tortilla Soup (*gluten-free)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 – 8 hours
- 1 Tb olive oil
- 1 medium onions, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 28 oz. organic tomatoes (diced, crushed, or whole)
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 4 cups filtered water
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/2 lime, juiced
- 1 Tb cilantro, chopped
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 avocado, chopped
- 1/4 cup tequila
The night before: Chop onions and mince the garlic. How easy is that for prep work? Optional: Saute in olive oil then store in fridge until tomorrow.
In the morning: Add everything but the avocado and tequila. Cook on low for 6 – 8 hours. About a half hour or so before serving, stir in lime juice, tequila, and adjust . Puree with an immersion blender.
Chop avocado and toss with extra lime juice and a little chili powder.
Serve topped with fresh cilantro, avocado, and strips of *baked tortilla strips or *crushed chips.
* Make sure to get gluten-free tortillas or chips if you have a gluten allergy!
Slow Cooker Chickpea Butternut Squash Soup
January 17, 2010 · by · 5 Comments
Butternut squash is a beautiful thing. The fact you can buy it already cut up in the produce section or freezer at your local grocer makes it even better. While it’s not hard to do it yourself, you may find yourself eating more of it when it’s so easy.
You can prepare one from scratch and freeze the leftovers for your next dish. Plus like other veggies it’s much cheaper to cut it up yourself. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and use a potato peeler to remove the skin. Once you have a flat side (from cutting it in half) it’s a breeze to peel.
This is a perfect soup for picky eaters. They can’t see the offending veggies and the flavors in the soup meld together so they can’t single a flavor out.
Slow Cooker Chickpea Butternut Squash Soup (Gluten-Free )
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 6 – 8 hours
- 2 cups butternut squash, frozen, or raw (peeled and seeded of course)
- 1-14 oz can chickpeas, rinsed
- 1-14 oz can organic crushed tomatoes (diced or stewed works fine too)
- 1 cup bell pepper strips (fresh or frozen works fine)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tb Better than Bouillon chicken-less flavor – or omit and use broth instead of water
- 5 cups filtered water
- 1 Tb port wine
- 1/2 cup sautéed mushrooms
- 1 tsp. marjoram
- 1 Tb Italian seasoning blend
The night before: Peel, seed, and chop the butternut squash. Slice mushrooms, mince garlic and chop green peppers.
In the morning: Throw everything into your slow cooker and cook for 6 – 8 hours on low. Taste and add more herbs or port wine. Puree with an immersion blender and serve.
Slow Cooker Vitamin A Blast Black Bean Chili
January 11, 2010 · by · 3 Comments
There’s nothing better than a steaming post of warm chili waiting for you to come home. This one has a surprise guest of sweet potato. Both black beans and sweet potatoes are a great source for vitamin A and C. Your doctor will be proud.
You can use either canned black beans or dry ones. If you use canned realize that extra sodium is added, so rinse them well before adding them to get off as much as possible. It’s always better to use dried or your own pre-cooked beans when ever possible.
Slow Cooker Vitamin A Blast Black Bean Chili (Gluten-free Recipe)
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 8- 16 hours (can cook longer if you are working late)
- 1 lb. dried black beans or 2 – 16 oz. cans cooked black beans
- 2 large or 3 medium sweet potatoes chopped (peel if not organic)
- 8 cups filtered water for dried beans or 2 cups if using canned beans
- 2 – 16 oz. canned dices or pureed tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic, minced or crushed
- 1 Tb. chili powder
- 1 tsp. chipolte powder or liquid smoke
- 1 Tb. cocoa powder
The night before: Put cut potatoes and dry beans in the slow cooker and cover plus one inch with filtered water (about 8 cups). cook on low all night.
Skip this step if using canned beans. The main difference will be the potatoes will keep their form with the canned beans, but melt into the chili with the overnight method.
In the morning: Add canned tomatoes, garlic, spices and more water if needed. Continue to cook on low. Remember that the water will not evaporate in a slow cooker like it will on the stove, so don’t add a whole lot. Add enough that it will not dry out before you come home for dinner. I add a little extra water if I think I may be gone for over 9 hours, but it depends on how hot your cooker runs. You can use one of the automatic timer slow cooker and it will switch to warm after the selected cooking time is complete.
