P i c k l i s t
watermelon - roma tomatoes - garlic - poblano pepper -
Cherry tomatoes - carmen peppers - lunchbox peppers - carrots
THIS WEEK AT EDGEWATER…
We remain swimming in field tomatoes. I believe the crop of plums might be at peak, or nearing peak yields right now. The plants are dripping with fruit, and this abundance is simultaneously soul-nourishing-farmer-pleasing and totally overwhelming. Being rich in tomatoes lends itself to a real feeling of urgency. A crop based time crunch.
For one, as soon as the fruit ripens, we have only so much time until the juice of the tomato bursts through the skin and rots the fruit. The crew has done an incredible job of staying on top of the pick, however it is inevitable that some of the cherries and plums will rot before we move/sell/cook/eat them.
The second feeling of urgency comes when the weather turns and the nights move toward fall and flannel. This is that moment in between seasons that makes me want to harvest everything all the time by day and preserve via canning or freezing all the time by night. This harvest rush makes for a real crazy person (i.e. me).
This week’s CSA share 100% reflects that crazy. Please join me as we get into it and go deep with tomatoes. By Sunday I expect everyone of your countertops to be tomato splattered and every dish piled high in your sink. But come JANUARY, you will be so pleased that you followed suit and took to heart the farmy foodie canny pro-tips.
Let’s CAN people!
(wait wait let me try again)
We CAN do this!
FARMY FOODIE PRO-TIPS the canners edition:
by far my fave way of preserving cherries and plums
It is simple and the only ingredients you need are tomatoes/salt/pepper/GARLIC/olive oil.
READ ON…
Cherry, grape or small Roma tomatoes
Whole cloves of garlic, unpeeled
Olive oil
Herbs such as thyme or rosemary (optional)
Preheat the oven to 225°F. Halve each cherry or grape tomato crosswise, or Roma tomato lengthwise and arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet along with the cloves of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, just enough to make the tomatoes glisten. Sprinkle herbs on, if you are using them, and salt and pepper, though go easily on these because the finished product will be so flavorful you’ll need very little to help it along.
Bake the tomatoes in the oven for about 3 hours. You want the tomatoes to be shriveled and dry, but with a little juice left inside–this could take more or less time depending on the size of your tomatoes.
Either use them right away or let them cool, cover them with some extra olive oil and keep them in the fridge for the best summer condiment, ever. And for snacking.
JENNY’S NOTE: Smitten’s slow roasted tomatoes stop there… but I am suggesting you take it one step further. Let’s can :)
STEP 1: Prepare your jars and lids- clean them, dry them/ get em lined up and ready.
STEP 2: Prepare your water bath (big pot with boiling water)
STEP 3-STEP 100: is an excerpt from Tart and Sweet: 101 Canning and Pickling Recipes by Kelly Geary and Jessie Knadler (Rodale, 2011). The excerpt is from Chapter 6: Summer. I am also going to provide their favorite recipe to can tomatoes in case you want to go the “whole” tomato route. However, if you want to take your newly roasted tomatoes and skip ahead to the canning part, go ahead and ladle your warm batch of tomatoes into jars, skip to bullet point 3 and proceed with the lemon juice. But do not add water- any juice leftover from your smashed down cherry tomatoes is enough!
Canned Tomatoes
• 12–15 pounds tomatoes, blanched, peeled, andcored
• About 8 cups water per quart jar
• 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice (or 1 tablespoon per pint jar)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon per pint jar)
1. Leave the tomatoes whole or quarter or halve them, as desired.
2. Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan (you may need more or less, depending on the size and cut of the tomatoes). Reduce the heat, but keep the water hot.
3. Place the appropriate amount of lemon juice and salt in each hot jar. Top with raw tomatoes.
4. Ladle hot water into the jars to cover the tomatoes, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Check for air bubbles, wipe the rims, and seal. Process quarts for 45 minutes, pints for 40 minutes, adjusting for elevation.
YIELD: 4 quarts or 8 pints
Ok DO YOUR BEST HERE PEOPLE! I Highly recommend you get yourself a copy of this book. It is extremely user friendly and chock full of all my fave ways to preserve. Writing it one more time for the boys in the back:
Tart and Sweet: 101 Canning and Pickling Recipes by Kelly Geary and Jessie Knadler
And if you are not ready to can, but do want roast your maters go ahead and these little gems on toast, with eggs, by the spoonful, or make soup:
Roasted Tomato and Goat Cheese Soup from the cook book: lucid food
serves 4
12 ripe tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon honey
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 dried bay leaf
1/4 cup fresh goat cheese
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Core and quarter the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds, reserving the seeds and cores for the stock. In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the garlic, onion, honey, rosemary, 1 tablespoon of the vinegar, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and a dash of salt. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the rosemary and set aside.
Combine the tomato scraps, bay leaf, and 1 cup water in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Decrease the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Strain the stock into a bowl and discard the solids. Rinse the pot and return the stock to the pot. Add the roasted tomatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then decrease the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
Let the soup cool for 10 minutes, then pour into a blender. Add the cheese and blend until smooth. With the blender running, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season to taste with salt.
Garnish the soup with the remaining 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar and a few grinds of pepper and serve.