The tomato that ate Chicago
If you have too many tomatoes, damaged tomatoes, too many cucumber or oversized ones, these recipes will help!
Spaghetti Sauce from Fresh Tomatoes
Cut up 3-4 quarts fresh tomatoes* and simmer in a very large pot. Meanwhile, cut up 2 onions, 1-2 sweet peppers (opt.) and sauté in 2T olive oil in a frying pan. Crush 2 cloves of garlic and add to the sauté along with 1T dried oregano and 2t marjoram. Add the sautéd mixture to the pot of tomatoes when the tomatoes have lost their shape and mix in 1 12-oz. can of tomato paste. Add 1 cup red wine (opt.). Cook until the sauce is thick (2-3 hours), stirring every 15-20 minutes. Add 1 cup of fresh basil leaves. Continue cooking until the leaves are wilted. (If you don’t have fresh basil, add 1T dried basil along with the oregano and marjoram.)
*You can blanche and peel the tomatoes if you wish, but I do not.
Remember Moby Pickle?
Easy Gazpacho
Chop these vegetables and put as many as fit in your blender:
1 peeled cucumber*
c. 5 lbs of tomatoes**
1 sweet pepper, red or green
½-1 cup chopped onion
¼ cup fresh basil
hot peppers to taste (fresh or dried)
Blend the vegetables in several batches and pour into a large bowl. Add:
3T wine vinegar
3T lemon or lime juice
1T olive oil
Mix, chill, and serve.
*If you are using an oversized cucumber, slice it lengthways and cut away the seeds and any pithy, dry sections.
**Just cut away any hard or bad parts. No need to peel or get rid of the seeds.
This soup is a variation on the traditional sliced cucumbers with sour cream and dill. Cool and refreshing, it features the subtle flavors of dill and fresh mint.
Chilled Cucumber Soup
4 cups cucumber, peeled and chopped*
2 cups yogurt
½ cup sour cream
2 T fresh mint leaves
1 T honey
1t dried dill or 1T fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste (or not)
Puree all the ingredients in the blender; then chill for at least 1 hour. Serve cold and garnish with chopped chives if desired.
*Remove the cucumber seeds if your cucumber is overgrown and the seeds are hard.
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