User avatar
Gary350
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7396
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

What are your recipes that contain TOMATOES?

We have 120 jars of tomatoes in the pantry, we need more tomato recipes to use them all up by July. We make, chili, spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, vegetable soup, sloppy Joe, stew, Spanish steak, salsa, maybe more. What are your recipes that use tomatoes?

SPANISH STEAK recipe, we love this I hope you do too.

1 lb of round steak or cube steak
3 tablespoons white vinegar
Marinade meat both sides in vinegar about 30 minutes.

Cover both sides of meat with flour, hammer the flour into the meat with the edge of a dinner plate, brown meat both sides in a hot skillet with 2 tablespoons of oil.

Add the following items to the meat..
1 pint of tomatoes
1 can 16 oz Enchilada sauce
2 medium onions sliced
1 can 4 oz green chilies
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3 large garlic cloves
1 tablespoon oregano
1 bay leaf
2 large potatoes sliced
1 lb. of carrots sliced

Bring to a boil then simmer about 2 hours in skillet or crock pot until potatoes, carrots and meat are tender. Stir every 15 minutes to prevent sticking and burning.
Last edited by Gary350 on Mon Nov 07, 2016 8:37 am, edited 5 times in total.

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

Tomato soup!

8 C chopped fresh tomatoes
1 large onion chopped
4 whole cloves
2-4 cloves garlic
4 C soup stock
6 T butter
4 T flour
1-2 tsp salt
1/4 C of sugar or to taste
black pepper to taste

optional additions:
lemon juice
heavy cream
basil
red pepper flakes

In large soup pot, saute onions, garlic, cloves, and other seasonings in 2 T of the butter, until the onions are soft
Add tomatoes and soup stock and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove whole cloves (if they are in cheesecloth bag, this is easier)
Puree with immersion blender

In a small pot, melt the rest of the butter, stir in the flour gradually to make a roux. Gradually whisk in a bit of the tomato mixture, so that no lumps form, adding more until the roux is pretty liquid. Add gradually to the soup pot. Season with sugar and salt, and adjust to taste.

See also: https://www.endlesssimmer.com/2010/08/09 ... -a-tomato/ (100 ways to use tomatoes)

User avatar
applestar
Mod
Posts: 30514
Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

Cooking rice with tomatoes in the cooking water is good too. If you use arborio rice, then you can make risotto and add cheese.

Or make fried rice (onions, garlic, peppers, green peas, snowpeas, or green beans) and add tomatoes to make pink tomato-y fried rice. Classic Japanese style would be to make very thin kind of omelette -- using similar techniques as making crepes (french pancakes), then plate by shaping the fried rice into an almond-shaped mound on the dinner plate and fit/cover with the thin sheet of egg. O-mu-rice (omelette-rice).

Tomatoes are excellent for de-glazing the pan after caramelizing anything -- in place or wine, etc.

User avatar
digitS'
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 3925
Joined: Sun Sep 26, 2010 1:10 pm
Location: ID/WA! border

I really strive for simplicity but with lots of plants, there is no way we can eat all the tomatoes fresh from the garden. Extra tomatoes are usually cooked down for pasta sauce. I will usually start with sauteed onions but whatever goes in the pot is written down on the Ziploc bag before it goes in the freezer. Then, we know what to choose later and what more we may want to add. This pasta and that pasta are what it all goes on.

Green tomatoes that ripen after frost are usually used in soup. I have found that they need extra flavor added, especially if weeks have passed since coming off the vines. This year, I began making soup from the get-go, from fresh tomatoes. I'm so glad I did! Sun-Ripened tomatoes are so good!

Neither the pasta sauce tomatoes nor the soup tomatoes are blanched and peeled. I stopped doing that several years ago. The cleaned and chopped tomatoes go into the blender or food processor. The skins disappear but more importantly, I prefer the texture. Yes, I didn't expect there to be that difference but one sometimes gets lucky through laziness ;).

I used to frequent a little restaurant near a college campus when I visited a nearby city. Their claim to fame was Italian dishes but they made the best hamburgers! I sat at the counter one time and watched them cook the patties. The cook used something called Maggi sauce.

I find it in Asian markets but it's also in Wal-Mart. Nothing so unusual, the ingredients are much like what is in soy sauce except it's made with wheat. That's my "boost" for flavor in those green-when-picked, last-of-the-season tomatoes! I probably just use less of it for the fresh tomatoes.

Of course, usually sauteed onions start things off. Garlic is likely to be in there, either with the onions or in garlic salt. Grated cheese finishes things off, thickens the soup (which has simmered and been stirred frequently for about 30 minutes after leaving the blender). I like some hot pepper in there ...

:) Steve

User avatar
rainbowgardener
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 25279
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

I just made pickled peppers with my extra jalapenos and put some green and ripe tomatoes (as well as onion, garlic, carrots) in with them.

ButterflyLady29
Greener Thumb
Posts: 1030
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2015 9:12 pm
Location: central Ohio

Spanish rice, jambalaya, gumbo, and a mac & cheese dish that uses tomatoes, onions and some sort of meat (whatever I have on hand).
I add salsa to beans and it makes a tasty meal.

pepperhead212
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 2851
Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2014 1:52 pm
Location: Woodbury NJ Zone 7a/7b

One of my favorite dishes to make with tomatoes, and the first one I make when I get 1 1/2 - 2 lbs of ripe tomatoes every season, is an uncooked pasta sauce, in which the tomatoes are diced, with the skin, and mixed with 4 cloves garlic, chopped, but not minced super-fine, 6 tb olive oil, a large handful of fresh basil, chopped, and salt and pepper to taste (as much as I like hot peppers, I like black pepper better in this). This is all mixed together in a bowl, and added to the hot, drained pasta. That's it! I make many variations on this, adding chopped kalumata olives, capers, anchovies, and, when it's cold, a bit of red wine vinegar - makes a great pasta salad. I usually make a double recipe, and instead of 2 lbs of pasta, I add some canellini beans, or some cooked chana dal, along with some cooked quinoa, millet, spelt, or whatever I have in the fridge, to add more nutrition.

Another favorite dish with tomatoes is gazpacho, which I learned to love as a kid in Spain. Ratatouille is another favorite summer dish, and a ratatouille soup, which can be eaten hot or cold.

And the dish I make more than any other in the summer, since I have cherry tomatoes at all times, even in the heat, is a lentil salad, which may not be for everyone, since it has a habanero in it, which gives it a unique and delicious flavor. The original recipe had regular lentils, but these can turn mushy in no time, which you don't want in a salad. So I use chana dal, which can be cooked 40-45 min., and still have a crunch. It also had wild rice, which I still use at times, but my favorite is freekah, which has a delicious, smoky flavor, and it cooks in about 25 min., so I cook it with the dal, adding after about 15 min. Pine nuts were the original nut, but they are pricey, so slivered almonds are usually in mine.

LENTIL SALAD

1 lb lentils, cooked, but not mushy
1/2 c cooked freekah, wild rice, spelt, or other grain
1/3 c toasted slivered almonds
3 c halved cherry tomatoes
1/3 c balsamic vinegar
1/2 c olive oil
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
1 large habanero pepper, minced
3/4 c chopped chives
1/2 c chopped cilantro
salt to taste (usually no extra, due to the feta)

Combine the hot, drained lentils with the olive oil, and let them cool. Mix in the remaining ing., and taste for salt and vinegar, adding more, if needed. I usually add vinegar the next day to the leftovers - something happens as it sits in the fridge.

User avatar
Gary350
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7396
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

TOMATO CATSUP RECIPE (late 1800s)

I had forgotten I have my grandmothers cook book (published 1890) so I looked up tomato catsup recipe and I found it and with her hand written notes. I remember grandmother use to make catsup when I was in grade school 1950s it was always so good much better than store bought catsup because of the herb and spice flavor. She use to cook whole tomatoes with skins and seeds then run it through a hand crank mill that turns all the solids to paste that mixed into the juice. Now days we have electric kitchen blenders.

RECIPE
1 gallon ripe garden whole tomatoes diced and cooked.
2 cups white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 large onion chopped
5 large garlic cloves chopped
3 tablespoons of salt
3 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon Paprika
Grandmothers Notes say, add the following.
3 tablespoons home grown garden oregano
2 tablespoons home grown thyme
1 tablespoon home grown basil

Spice bag mix
1 tablespoon of black peppercorns
2 tablespoons of dry mustard seeds
3 tablespoons of cinnamon
2 tablespoons of cloves
1/2 tablespoon of mace
Tie spice bag shut with a string boil very slowly 4 to 5 hours with tomatoes and vinegar. Add all the dry ingredient including garden herbs last 30 minutes of the cook. Turn off the heat remove the spice bag. Fill pint mason jars 1/2" from top put on seals and rings turn jars upside down or a cloth until they cool.


TODAY I opened a 1 quart mason jar of garden tomatoes with skins and seeds to make 1/4 of this recipe. I did the short cut method like grandmothers note say, use pickling spice instead of spice mix in the recipe. I also decided 1/4 of a recipe does not need 1/2 a cup of vinegar so I reduced vinegar to 1/4 cup. After cooking it for about 45 minutes volume was reduce to 1 pint. I cheated and ran the mixture in the kitchen blender to puree all the spices, tomato seed, skins, etc to liquid.

1/4 RECIPE
1 quart of whole tomatoes
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 onion
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon of pickling spice
Bring to a boil, simmer about 45 minutes until volume is reduced to 1 pint, puree in kitchen blender, put in a 1 pint jar with lid, keep in refrigerator. If you have an empty squeeze catsup bottle fill it up.

NOTE. This is still as good as I remember it when grandmother made it 55 years ago. It is thick like store bought catsup with a very good herb flavor store bought catsup does not have. After we eat this first pint of catsup I will make another pint and experiment a little with the spices, maybe I make the original recipe next time or put the spices in a bag next time. If you make this recipe and think the finished catsup needs more salt, vinegar, etc, add more to suite your taste.

User avatar
Gary350
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7396
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

We had Tacos for dinner but no taco sauce in the pantry so I got out my Mexican cook book and found this recipe. We ate it for dinner and it was very good.

TACO SAUCE RECIPE
2 cups whole tomatoes with skins and seeds
1 heaping tablespoon diced onion
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon of Lemon Juice or Vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon of crushed Red Pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

Put everything in the kitchen blender on high speed for 3 minutes then it is ready to eat. If you Can taco sauce in mason jars cook 20 minutes in a boiling water bath cooker.

User avatar
Gary350
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7396
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

When its 18 degrees F outside its a great day to cook in the kitchen. I found the BEST Lentil Soup recipe ever. There must be 8 dozens ways to make Lentil soup, a different recipe for every Country and different recipe for every family, Greek, French, India, Egyptian, Spicy, Mediterranean, Russian, Oriental, and many more. THIS is the BEST recipe of ALL.

LENTIL SOUP RECIPE
2 cup chicken broth
1 cup water
4 cups tomato juice
1 cup Red Lentils
1 cup celery sliced thin
1 cup carrots grated
1 cup potatoes cubed small
1 cup onions diced
4 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
1 tsp cumin seed
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon Crush Red Pepper
1 T olive oil
1 tsp salt add only after soup is finished

Heat water, chicken broth, tomato juice in a pot, with lentils, potatoes, carrots, celery.

Heat oil in a skillet, add cumin seed stir 30 seconds until seeds pop, stir in all the herbs then add to the soup pot. Saute onions in a skillet until brown add to the lentils soup.

Simmer with a lid on the pot medium heat about 1 hour or until everything is tender. Stir soup with a French Mixer to puree the vegetables and everything in the pot. Stir in about 1 teaspoon of Salt and some black pepper to taste. It is amazing the soup tastes 2 times better after you puree everything in the pot to liquid. It also gets better the 2nd day.

Image

Image

User avatar
Gary350
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7396
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

This vegetable beef soup has 3 pints of tomatoes, it is hard to tell it has all those tomatoes. Wow this is so good.

Image

SQWIB
Greener Thumb
Posts: 970
Joined: Tue Feb 16, 2016 9:21 am
Location: Zone 7A - Philadelphia, PA

I have been making a lot of Sun-Dried tomatoes. whatever I can't fit into a 32 oz. mason jar, I vacuum seal and add to the jar once half empty.

I usually use the maters that were split, pecked or on their way out to make sun-dried tomatoes.

I have also been making Tomato Powder to use in recipes as a flavoring and a thickener.

Next year I'm going to try and make a tomato paste and diced tomatoes if there's an over abundance of maters.

User avatar
Gary350
Super Green Thumb
Posts: 7396
Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.

Garden Vegetable Soup.

Vegetable soup has no real exact recipe you build it with what you can find hiding in the pantry & freezer. 1 quart of pantry garden tomatoes goes into the large crock pot. Wife found some stew meat and 2 cube steaks in the freezer so that goes in the crock pot too. Let that cook about 4 hours tomatoes will make the meat very tender. We started this right after breakfast then after lunch we decided it needs a large onion an about 10 or 12 cloves of garlic. We found 3 bags of left over peas, carrots, corn, in the freezer. Found a whole bag or garden green beans in the freezer too. Let it cook a few more hours. About 3 pm I cut up 2 potatoes and put them into the crock pot. Cabbage & broccoli would make this very yummy but wife can not eat those. Salt, pepper, pinch of red pepper let it cook another hour. About 5:20 pm WOW it looks good & smells good, lets eat it. I ate 2 bowls. Wife left soup out to cool I will eat another bowl before bed.
Attachments
001.JPG

imafan26
Mod
Posts: 13961
Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2013 8:32 am
Location: Hawaii, zone 12a 587 ft elev.

Salsa
5 ripe tomatoes ( roast on the grill first is even better)
juice of 1 lime
1-3 cloves of garlic (depending on how much you like garlic. Roasted garlic is sweeter and milder)
1 tsp kosher salt
1 medium sweet onion, minced (roast, then mince)
2-3 Tabasco peppers (Hawaiian tabasco), or 1-5 Jalapeno peppers (roasted first)
1 small bunch cilantro finely chopped.

Tomato basil bruscheta
https://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/b ... and_basil/

Filipino Salsa (KSP)
2 ripe tomatoes, washed, seeded and chopped
1/2 sweet onion roughly chopped
2 tbs fish sauce
Combine in a bowl. Use salsa as a condiment with grilled meat or fish, eggplant, and shrimp dishes.



Return to “Canning - Preserving - Recipes”