Valley Bounty: Tomatoes

It’s time to focus on tomatoes. First, eating them, in all their juicy, multi-colored glory. Second, preserving them. Here’s an easy method: line a rimmed cookie sheet with one layer of halved tomatoes, skin side down. Add herbs, peeled garlic, salt and pepper, and a drizzle of oil.  Roast at 275 for several hours, until plump, pliable, and still a little juicy. Cool and freeze. If you freeze on trays, then bag, you can remove a few tomatoes at a time for grilled cheese sandwiches or pizza topping. Alternately, toss cooled tomatoes directly into a bag, freeze, and use for pasta or pizza sauces.

Valley Bounty is written by Margaret Christie

Sources: Find local tomatoes at farmstands, farmers’ market, or retailers that prioritizes local sourcing. If you want lots of tomatoes for preserving, ask your farmer if they sell paste tomatoes or seconds in bulk.

Preserving:

Find a lengthier description of roasting tomatoes for freezing from Berkshire cookbook author Alana Chernia here.

There are lots of other ways to preserve tomatoes—whether you’re a fan of freezing, drying, or canning, you can do it with a tomato. Find our rundown of tomato preservation options here .