CHACONIAC's Blog

Greetings all:

It's certainly midsummer and that's bringing a veritable avalanche of produce to my humble garden...the first wave of tomatoes is coming on line, the sweet pear-shaped yellow ones. This year I also planted Romas and some mystery seeds from Florence Italy that are yielding large corrugated fruits but nothing red yet. The last of the greenbeans and peas will get picked this week. I like to steam them for 2-3 minutes and then dunk them in ice water...they stay green and crunchy...and I toss them with some of the fabulous lettuce I still have, including arugula,  and some tuna or salmon. Yum.

See photo below: a garden lunch with the last of the legumes and the first of the tomatoes.

As promised, here is the recipe for roasted tomatoes with garlic and onions. It was originally clipped from the Chicago Tribune October 2003, but it's easily  modified by adding whatever's available in the garden. You can add zucchini or squash or even eggplant, green or hot peppers and make soup or sauces.

ROASTED TOMATOES WITH GARLIC AND ONIONS:

2 pounds small Roma tomatoes or medium tomatoes, seeded, about 4 cups. (I like to make a small x on the butt end, then dunk them in boiling water, pull the skins off and squeeze out seeds and excess juice).

1 sweet onion, diced

1 clove garlic minced

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar (a little brown sugar adds a mellow zing)

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (I use home-grown hot peppers)

freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, olive oil, sugar, salt, red pepper and black pepper in a single layer in 9 x 13 Pyrex dish.

Bake uncovered, stirring a few times, until juices have reduced and mixture is thick and fragrant, about 1 hour.

The resulting paste is easily frozen (I just pour it into baggies) and provides a surprising taste of summer in the heart of Chicago winter.

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My friends are already asking for invites to dinner featuring home-grown tomato soup!

Regards, Lilia

"Let us be grateful to people who make us happy;
      they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom."
Marcel Proust