Tomato Season

Tomatoes are ripening here in Southern Vermont, where the weather has been kind to the fruit (which is often not the case).  Several different types of tomatoes are grown by our gardeners, including Big Beef, Sungold cherry tomatoes, roma tomatoes and regular slicing tomatoes.  As good as they taste (and there is nothing like a tomato fresh out of the garden!), there is always the question about what to do with the bounty.

   

Susan was harvesting tomatoes this morning and we got to talking about the advantages of freezing vs canning the crop.  She said she simple quarters them, seals them in freezer bags, puts them in the freezer and uses them throughout the winter.

  

Some gardeners peel and seed the fruit before freezing, while others puree it and freeze the sauce.  Whatever method is used, having the use of these delicious tomatoes throughout the winter is a real treat.

Other vegetables are also easily frozen.  We all know the glut of zucchini we get from our plots – even our friends and neighbors say “no” when asked if they want some.  Susan washes, grates, squeezes out the excess water and freezes her extra squash.    Grated squash can be used in frittatas, fritters, breads, muffins and as a topping for pizza.  For some ideas on how to use the grated squash, check out this Taste of Home webpage. 

My winter soups and stews have benefited from adding last summer’s frozen tomatoes, beans, peas, basil, shishito peppers, swiss chard, spinach, kale and beet greens.  Here’s one soup I love to make (adapted from Epicurious), and it uses carrots, onions and garlic which were harvested and stored, as well as frozen tomatoes and swiss chard, all of which were grown in the garden this past summer:

Barley and Lentil Soup with Swiss Chard

1 large onion, chopped

3-4 carrots, peeled and chopped

Olive oil

3 minced garlic cloves

2 tsp cumin seeds (ground or whole – I prefer them whole)

10 cups vegetable broth

2/3 cup pearl barley

2 cups chopped tomatoes

2/3 cup dried lentils

4 cups chopped swiss chard

Salt and pepper

Fresh dill, lemon juice and/or greek yogurt for garnish

Saute the onion and carrots in olive oil until onions are soft and golden.  Add garlic and cumin and saute 60 seconds.  Add broth and barley, bring to a boil and simmer 25 minutes.  Add tomatoes and lentils, cover and simmer until lentils are tender (about 30 minutes).  Add swiss chard and simmer another 3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve garnished with chopped fresh dill.  A squeeze of lemon is also a good garnish, as is a dollop of greek yogurt.