What should I do with all these tomatoes?

I'll eat lots with mayo and give some away. What else should I do? Recipes, please.

Seriously, you can't beat cold, chunky gazpacho when the weather gets hot.

I confess, though, that I am a "seat-of-the-pants" cook. I rarely use recipes (except for baked goods) and adjust freely depending on mood and what I have around.

If I were going to make gazpacho today, I'd use:

Diced tomatoes (oh, say 4 parts)
Diced cucumber (1-2 parts)
Diced orange or yellow pepper (1 part)
Minced white or green onion (1 part)
(Am I in the mood for garlic? Maybe 1 clove minced)
Fresh mint
Black pepper
Salt (*see below)

Chill & allow the juices to mingle. Add some tomato juice (I like vegetable juice & celery juice, too, but it'll throw off the salt ratio if you've already added salt) if there's not enough liquid for your taste.

Serve very cold.

Mmm.

You could also sun-dry or oven-roast extras.

I'll get the rest of the ingredients when I go to the store. Later on, I can use my own cucumbers and peppers.

Is that a green onion, as in a scallion?

White onion if you like the sweetness, green onion (or scallion, same thing) if you like a more onion-y but not too sharp flavor.

Have fun!

Had this tonight from one of Martha's recipes and added shrimp to it. yummy. Tastes like summer.

I really like chilled stewed tomatoes served on the side with beef dishes. And they're great to add to stews and soups. Having some home grown frozen for use in winter would be such a treat.

I sure do miss tomatoes in the winter. Do you think if I froze slices I could use them on pizza margherita later on, or would they be too mushy?

The only tomatoes I had good luck with freezing for later use in salads are the cherry toms. And even they get icy but stay somewhat firm. They're still acceptable.

You could always try freezing some slices and try it on one pizza to see what happens. It wouldn't be a total disaster.

Love tomato sandwiches. I'm afraid I can't eat that many sandwiches, though.

OMG! I've been really enjoying this dish this summer:

Slice a red, ripe tomato
Slice fresh mozarella, the kind that comes in water
Pick or buy fresh basil

Stack the cheese on top of the tomato, building these layers up as high as you want it. Sprinkle fresh basil over it.

Top with extra vergin olive oil, basalmic vinegar, salt and pepper.

:9 :9 :9 :9 :9

I really, really love thgis ... and nothing is simpler. We add balsamico sometimes. That's what the dark spots on the cheese is in this one.

If the supermarket doesn't have that cheese, I'm going to have to find a deli. That sounds and looks (Thanks, Husb2sparkly) fantastic!

I did a google image search for "insalata caprese" just to illustrate and that picture came up ...... which is the picture I posted last summer and have never taken out of my photobucket account! :)

I forgot it was there.

Don't use the mozarella that's in a plastic wrapper. Find the stuff in a container swimming in water. That's fresh mozz ..... and that's what this recipe calls for.

Well, it is technically fior di latte ... meaning it is made from cow's milk. Bufala is the true mozarella, but it is made from water buffalo milk and is hard to come by ... to say nothing of very pricey.

I got the right kind of cheese at the supermarket. It probably won't be as good as Costco's, but it'll do for a start.

THE BEST tomato jelly! I remember there were raisins in it, and it was delish! I'll try to remember to ask a sister if they have a recipe.

I'd love to have that recipe if you can find it.

Tomato jelly/jam?

3 cups tomato pulp- about 8 large very ripe tomatoes
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 box pectin
6 cups sugar
1 cup raisins

Boil water and throw in toms. til they start to peel.
Skin and chop toms.

Boil pulp simmer 10 minutes.
Ladle out 3 cups and add rest of ingredients.
Boil and skim foam off top.

Makes 7 cups

Get jelly jars, melt parrafin, ladle finished jelly into hot jars and pour liquid parrafin on top/
Seal.

Short and sweet, had to wait til my sister was free to mail. But this is the concoction I remember Mom making. RIP 1990

It's really tasty on toast with cream cheese.

Take up home canning.With tomatoes it's easy and safe. Just pick up a Ball Blue Book of canning, some jars and lids, have a deep kettle to immerse the jars in, and voila!

I am off to the kitchen to put up a few jars worth right now. Have to squeeze some of my homegrown lemons for juice to put in with (for acidity).

Note to self: plant THREE Roma tomato plants next year, and TWO San Marzanos, and do some SERIOUS canning for once.

Newbie question here. I recall that tomatoes are great for canning because they are acidic already and hence are less likely to support microorganisms.

(which is why they are so tasteless, lol) so it is recommended to add lemon juice to all canned tomatoes to be SAFE. Wouldn't want to get botulism.

And I have heard some of the red varieties have lower acid. "Just no fun"

Or a nice tomato bread salad, Italian style.

I still have Raven's recipe.

Ours takes fresh produce, and many of the poor cannot afford the outrageous prices of fresh fruits and veggies these days. Here at least, tomatoes are 3-4 dollars a pound and peppers are even higher. Even basic root veggies such as turnips and parsnips are high.

I hope everyone will consider sharing some of their surplus crop with the hungry. :)

Mix diced tomatoes with diced onions, green pepper, cilantro, lime juice and a little of whatever else you like in the salsa, then throw in some hot stuff ( Habanero or jalapeno peppers, tabasco ). It should be used in a few days if fresh, process acording to canning directions to store for later use ( it doesn't keep long.)

Marinara: Saute: a bit of onion, garlic, bell pepper, carrot shreds and celery diced, (just a few minutes til slightly tender). Add to chopped tomatoes with dash of pepper, sugar, oregano, basil and Parmesan cheese and simmer a good long time ( crockpot is nice for this) until it has taste and consistency you prefer. Serve over pasta or pork chops or? (you can also process this to store for later but be sure to follow directions for a "mixed food" process.)

Stuffed tomatoes: Raw can be scooped out and served with tuna salad. Cooked: throw in some flavored cooked rice (Spanish rice or beans and rice are good) and bake for 20 minutes.

Blanch the tomatoes enough to remove skins, place in large saucepan and simmer for about an hour. Turn off and add fresh basil and a touch of olive oil. Add salt and pepper if you wish. You can refridgerate for about a week.

Great for everything from pasta to eggs.

If that doesn't do it, home can those tomatoes. Come February next year you'll be glad you did.