Just Freeze the Tomatoes

Do you have a shit ton of tomatoes? Do you not have the capacity in you body to eat them all fresh or the will or desire or time to can them but really want to save some tomatoes for later? Well you know you can just freeze them right?

Yup. You don’t have to do anything fancy, pretty much anything at all. Just wash, remove any green stuff, then pop the whole tomatoes (any variety, large or small and tomatillos for that matter. Just remove the papery skin.) into a freezer bag or airtight freezer container and stick in the freezer. That is it.

Then all winter long (or until you run out) you will have peak summer tomatoes right there ready to be dropped into soup, roasted into deliciousness , simmered into a thick and luscious sauce, or do whatever the heck you usually do with tomatoes besides eating them fresh. I mean, you can even eat them frozen too. Not a bad little snack if I do say so myself.

Happy tomato-ing!

-C

Spaghetti with Roasted Green Tomato Sauce

If you are a gardener or farmer (or know one) you know. It’s that time of year where there are so many tomatoes, and I right? And with the bounty of ripen tomatoes comes the many green tomatoes, There are always green tomatoes and they are not to be dismissed.

Sure a freshly picked gorgeous red or orange tomato, ripe and sweet, eaten within minutes of being plucked from the plant is one of life’s greatest pleasures , but don’t turn a nose at all those tomatoes that don’t make it to ripeness, that fall from the plant. or that you accidentally pick off while getting to the rip ones. Those green tomatoes might not seem like much, but given a little attention, well they can shine just as bright as all those ripe and colorful ones!

All green tomatoes need to be delicious is to be roasted. Then they are amazing, like seriously freaking delicious. Just as bright and flavorful as ripen tomatoes, maybe even more so.

Once roasted you then can make them into sauce. Sauce for pasta, for pizza, for eating straight out of the jar (That is me). It can do anything red tomato sauce can do.

So don’t just let those green tomatoes go to waste. Heck, maybe pluck a few extra green ones before they ripen just so you can enjoy the goodness of roasted green tomatoes!

To the green tomato sauce!

The stuff. Green tomatoes, a large onion, a few cloves of garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, spaghetti, fresh basil, and a few rip cherry tomatoes.

Cut the onion into large chunks and slice all the green tomatoes in half (or quarters if they are large)

Place it all on a baking sheet and toss with a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle on salt and pepper. Also place the unpeeled garlic into a corner and pop the baking sheet into a hot oven to roast.

Ah, all soft was tender and roasted.

(The garlic was removed after 15ish minutes of roasting, peeled and set aside.)

Dump it all into a blender and blend until smooth. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

And make spaghetti. I trust you know how to do this.

Ripe up some fresh basil and chop the cherry tomatoes in half and…

Place some of the cooked pasta into a bowl, pour in your desired amount of the sauce, and top with fresh basil and a few red cherry tomatoes.

It is ready. Now eat.

-C

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Spaghetti with Roasted Green Tomato Sauce

Makes 5-6 cups

• Around 20 smaller green tomatoes (or how many you can fit on a a large baking sheet)

• a large sweet onion

• 4-5 cloves garlic

• 1-2 tablespoons olive oil

• salt and pepper

• Spagetthi (as much as you want to eat)

• handful of fresh basil for erving of pasta resh basil

• a few red cherry tomatoes for each serving of pasta

Preheat oven to 450

Cut tomatoes in half (or in quarters if they are large). Peel skin from onion and cut into large chunks. Place both cut tomatoes and onion onto a large baking sheet and drizzle with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Toss around and then sprinkle with salt and pepper. On the corner of the pan, place the garlic(still in skin) Place into oven.After 15ish minutes, remove the garlic and set aside. Continue baking the tomatoes and onions for another 35-45 minutes or until the tomatoes are fork tender.

Once the tomatoes are cooked, remove from oven and, being oh so careful, dump or scoop the tomatoes and onion into a blender. Add in the roasted garlic (skin removed) and blend until smooth. Taste the sauce then season with more salt and pepper and add another tablespoon of olive oil if you think it needs it.

To eat with spaghetti.

Make spaghetti as in instructed on box. Once you have cooked spaghetti, drained it, and placed it into a bowl, pour or scoop the green tomato sauce on top. Top with a handful of fresh basil and a few red cherry tomatoes.

Then eat.

Extra tomato sauce can be placed in a jar or container with a lid and refrigerated for about a week.

Beans and Greens on Toast

It was a toss up this week. Share this recipe or share home remedies for flatulence!!!! Mah haha! (But honestly, should I share some home remedies for bloating and the toots?)

Ok, so we all know what is going on in the world at the moment and jeezm fuck. I’ll leave it at that.

Word on the streets (or in the news) is that everyone and their mom went out the past few weeks and stock piled a shit ton of food, especially beans. And you know what, that’s cool because beans are amazing and sometimes the silver lining behind bad shit is that you discover something magical. Like beans.

But there is also the issue of all the food people stocked up on in a slight frenzy and might not have had exact intentions for it. Maybe some greens? Did you buy greens? Are they, right now, sitting in your fridge, maybe a little sad, getting neglected because you have been binge eating up the rest of the girl scout cookies like what?

Well maybe this is a good time to use those greens before they go completely bad and you end up tossing them. Even though shit is mad crazy right now, we need to get perspective, especially on food. Waste is preventable. You don’t need to be that person. If you bought it, you for sure better be eating it.

But let me be clear. This is not just a recipe to use up greens and beans because you have to. No no no. These beans and greens are so freaking delicious. It is spring after all and greens are so bountiful and amazing right now. All I want to do is stuff handfuls of the tender green things into my mouth. After months of roots on top of roots, I could gladly eat nothing but greens for the next month. (Until all the other spring veggies start growing!)

This dish is quick and easy and tasty as AF. You can use any type of bean that you have, pretty much any greens you have, and any bread you have. As for the tahini sauce that gets drizzled on top, if you don’t have tahini, you can make it with another nut butter or just use some other dressing situation. It really is that simple and adaptable. And delicious and nutritious. All the boxes are checked!✔️

Now to the beans and greens on toast!

The stuff. Beans, greens. bread, tahini, an onion, a lemon, a little garlic powder, salt and pepper, and olive oil.

Chop onion.

Onions into a skillet with a touch of oil. Cook until soft.

Once onions are soft, toss in the beans! Keep on heat and cook for a few minutes.

And lastly the greens. Right on in, just mix then around and let them wilt down to your preferable wiltedness.

Tahini sauce. All you do is mix the thin with lemon, garlic, a little pinch of salt and pepper, and water until it is creamy.

Lastly, toast the bread. I used a skillet but use the toaster or oven. Whatever you want to do.

And that is it. Toast on plate, pile on the beans and greens and get that tahini sauce drizzled also over!

Now eat. And revel in the greatness of all the good that is now in your mouth!

Stay safe and healthy and aware!

-C

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Beans and Greens on Toast

Serves 1

• 2 cups cooked or canned beans (I used navy but any bean will work)

• 2-3 large handfuls of greens (I used a mixture of spinach, kale, and chard, but again, any green will do, even romaine or spring mix)

• 1 small onion

• 2 pieces of bread

• a lemon (you can sub a tablespoon vinegar if you don’t have a lemon)

• a tablespoon or so water

• a clove of garlic minced or a pinch of garlic powder

• olive oil

• salt and pepper

First dice up the onion and toss into a medium sized skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Place on medium heat and cook until soft which should take about 5-6 minutes. Once cooked, add in the beans and stir around.

Let those hang out for a few minutes and start the toast. I think you can figure out how to make toast so I will let you do that. Also make the tahini sauce. Mix the tahini, the juice of the lemon, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper together until completely incorporated. Drizzle in enough water to thin it out to a drizzle-able consistency.

After beans and onions have had the past few minutes to warm and cook, toss in all the greens and a splash of water. Cook for another minutes to 2 or until greens have wilted.

Grab a plate, place toast on plate, pile the beans and greens on toast then drizzle all the tahini sauce on top. Season with salt and pepper if needed.

Smile and then eat.