Preserving Summer Tomatoes

Tomatoes are like a rock power ballad. Think Joe Cocker at Woodstock.  They start out with a nice slow tempo. A few tomatoes here and there, maybe even  some to share with the neighbors. It builds until we get the full chorus with emotional guttural lyrics, drums, guitars, synthesizer and more noise than we can comprehend. Just like the tomato plant that goes into overdrive and produces more fruit than you can possibly handle. The power ballad can leave you drained. An overactive  harvest can do the same.

This is another instance where your Aga truly shines. While the knob turners and flame slaves struggle to keep their sauce from sticking the Aga owner can preserve even the biggest harvest while they sleep. Here are three easy breezy ways to take care of the largest pile of vine ripened nightshades. I prefer to make all of these recipes while I sleep. The actual working time on these recipes is minimal. Homemade tomato paste with only 15 minutes of effort? Unheard of. Once you master these you will take as many free tomatoes as you can get your hands on.

Overnite in the Simmer Oven

 Homemade Crushed Tomatoes

This is more of a theory and technique than recipe. Experiment with quantity and variety. By slow cooking the tomatoes water is evaporated and flavors concentrate. Be sure to use any juices that accumulate in the bottom of the pan when you pass them thru the food mill.

Gather up these ingredients

• 7 # of washed ripe garden tomatoes
• sea salt

Put the washed tomatoes in a roasting pan lined  with bak-o-glide and sprinkle with sea salt

Into the Simmer Oven. I do this before I retire for the evening and take out as soon as get up. Actually it's coffee first, then check on the tomatoes. You can count on 7 to 9 hours in the Simmer Oven.

Use a food mill fitted with the smallest diameter plate and pass the warm roasted tomatoes thru it. The skin and seeds will be left behind and bowl of beautiful crushed tomatoes will be ready for freezing or turning into Tomato Sauce

Taste and season with salt. If you are going to be turning it into paste go easy on the salt.

Homemade Tomato Paste

The crushed tomatoes still have that bright tart acidity. The paste is a deeper earthier flavor with much lower acidity. This paste is a perfect boost to pan sauces, stews, braises and of course Tomato Sauce

•  1 batch of Homemade Crushed Tomatoes
• sea salt

Line a Roasting Pan with bak-o-glide and add the crushed tomatoes.

Into the Simmer Oven for 5 hours. Timer goes beep and you down size into the smaller Aga roasting pan lined with bak-o-glide. Careful to spread the tomatoes evenly in the pan. You want to expose as much surface area to the gentle heat of the Simmer Oven as possible. Cook an additional 4 to 5 hours until the sauce is thick and deep reddish brown.

 

Slow Roast Tomatoes

Here is a repost from one of my favorite Aga tricks. Slow Roast Tomatoes packed in oil will keep for some time. Be sure to never put your fingers in the oil to retrieve the tomato. Use a nice clean fork. The best BLT's are made with these tomatoes. I'll put this up against Thomas Kellers BLT with the butter poached egg any day

Simple Roast Vegetable Dinner

Busy days here at the Nooney household. Presidents week is a hectic at work, a 50 inch snowstorm came rolling thru and then our son finally got home from Afgannyland. Relief. I'm sure your life gets just as busy. When this happens to me my diet suffers. No planning, just grabbin' and goin'. Time to make a nice meal for me. Easy breezy and fun to eat. I dig using my hands over utensils any day.

Let's see what went down in the AgaKitchen.

Roast Veggies and Barley Pilaf slow roast tomatoes, baked onions, broccoli, yellow squash and carrots with a side of red pepper barley pilaf mixed with dark kidney beans.

• Slow roasted tomatoes, click here for recipe, takes about three hours but can be made ahead
• Baked onions, click here for recipe, or simply wash and bake at 375 for about an hour, do not peel
• Barley pilaf, sweat 1/2 an onion small dice and 1/2 a peeled red pepper small dice, add one cup barley. add 1/4 cup white wine and 2 cups stock or water. Bring to a boil and let simmer until all liquid is absorbed. I throw it in the oven for about 30 minutes. Don't forget to season as you go
• Roast broccoli and carrots. Cut broccolli into spears and carrots into sticks, drizzle with olive oil, season and into a 425 oven for about 10 minutes
• Roast summer squash, pick out a small one, split lengthwise, season and into an oiled baking pan and in the oven with the broccoli and carrots, about ten minutes. I put a cool cross hatch pattern on mine but I like to show off. Look closely and you can see them. I t also helps the heat penetrate a bit deeper
• Simple vinaigrette, I used capers and lemon, 3 to 1 oil to vinegar ratio with a splash of wine and mustard

That's it, add some nice greens, I used some cool living greens upland watercress, and build a plate full of great tasting fun to eat healthy vegan food that carnivores will love.

Welcome home Sgt Nooney!