The forgotten fruit?
At last, something to write about! The tomatoes are finally ripening. Why is it that they begin to develop during the warm summer months, and then always seem to arrive when the sun is battling with the clouds to deliver that much needed heat?
I don't have a greenhouse, unlike my father-in-law, who eats tomatoes in the summer. I grow a couple of plants and hope that I get to enjoy them outside, with freshly picked basil and some cheese. That hope vanishes along with the evenings, as September takes hold. I have realised that Autumn never lets you down. Spring may be late appearing, and summer often doesn't come when we are expecting it (sometimes, even not at all here!), but come the first days of September, autumn arrives, with a chill in the air and the shortening days.
I love autumn. I dream of walks in the woods collecting chestnuts, barbecues on bonfire night and hot bowls of pumpkin soup... I love wearing my scarves again, and wrapping up in a winter coat, freshly dusted off from the depths of the wardrobe. But most of all I love the autumn food.
Tomatoes are now part of my autumn routine, and as much as I love them warm and fresh from the garden, I also enjoy retrieving the taste in the winter when I dip into the freezer and pull out a pot of homemade tomato sauce to have with pasta. That is my job this weekend, with a bunch that have ripened. Last weekend, I halved some across their 'equator', and grilled them until they bubbled. A coupe of leftovers joined some cold sausages and rice to make a quick rice salad this week. I am enjoying my small harvest.
Tomato Pasta Sauce (quantities of tomato, onion and garlic will vary here, depending on how much you want to make, so I haven't stated them. Just go with what you want!)
Onion, finely chopped
Garlic, finely chopped
Ripe tomatoes, chopped
Pinch of salt
Grind of black pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Herbs of choice, chopped. (I use basil when I can because it compliments tomato so well, however, any herb finely chopped would be ok, or even a sprinkle of dried herbs, stirred in).
Heat oil in a pan.
Add the onion and garlic, stir, cover with a lid and sweat for 2 mins.
Add the tomatoes, stirring to incorporate the onion and garlic well.
Now add the rest of the ingredients, and leave to simmer for 20 mins.
The sauce is now ready to use, or store after cooling.
As I use the whole tomato, if you don't like the skin and seeds in the sauce pop it through a sieve before using or storing. Make sure you press it through fully to get the flavours of all the other ingredients.
Alternatively, peel and de-seed the tomatoes before using. It really depends on time.
Remember this is a base sauce, so add and tweak to make different varieties.
Try adding pancetta or bacon to the onion and garlic...
What a nice way to keep that summer flavour going a little longer! :-)
I don't have a greenhouse, unlike my father-in-law, who eats tomatoes in the summer. I grow a couple of plants and hope that I get to enjoy them outside, with freshly picked basil and some cheese. That hope vanishes along with the evenings, as September takes hold. I have realised that Autumn never lets you down. Spring may be late appearing, and summer often doesn't come when we are expecting it (sometimes, even not at all here!), but come the first days of September, autumn arrives, with a chill in the air and the shortening days.
I love autumn. I dream of walks in the woods collecting chestnuts, barbecues on bonfire night and hot bowls of pumpkin soup... I love wearing my scarves again, and wrapping up in a winter coat, freshly dusted off from the depths of the wardrobe. But most of all I love the autumn food.
Tomatoes are now part of my autumn routine, and as much as I love them warm and fresh from the garden, I also enjoy retrieving the taste in the winter when I dip into the freezer and pull out a pot of homemade tomato sauce to have with pasta. That is my job this weekend, with a bunch that have ripened. Last weekend, I halved some across their 'equator', and grilled them until they bubbled. A coupe of leftovers joined some cold sausages and rice to make a quick rice salad this week. I am enjoying my small harvest.
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| My weekly harvest. There's more to come! |
Tomato Pasta Sauce (quantities of tomato, onion and garlic will vary here, depending on how much you want to make, so I haven't stated them. Just go with what you want!)
Onion, finely chopped
Garlic, finely chopped
Ripe tomatoes, chopped
Pinch of salt
Grind of black pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Herbs of choice, chopped. (I use basil when I can because it compliments tomato so well, however, any herb finely chopped would be ok, or even a sprinkle of dried herbs, stirred in).
Heat oil in a pan.
Add the onion and garlic, stir, cover with a lid and sweat for 2 mins.
Add the tomatoes, stirring to incorporate the onion and garlic well.
Now add the rest of the ingredients, and leave to simmer for 20 mins.
The sauce is now ready to use, or store after cooling.
As I use the whole tomato, if you don't like the skin and seeds in the sauce pop it through a sieve before using or storing. Make sure you press it through fully to get the flavours of all the other ingredients.
Alternatively, peel and de-seed the tomatoes before using. It really depends on time.
Remember this is a base sauce, so add and tweak to make different varieties.
Try adding pancetta or bacon to the onion and garlic...
What a nice way to keep that summer flavour going a little longer! :-)
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