Saturday, September 10, 2011

Secret in the Sauce -- Roasted and Frozen Summer Tomatoes

This is not my recipe but is becoming mine each year I make it.  Originally it appeared in a friend's comment to a blog post:

"And also? because I am the evangelist of roasted tomatoes, I'm just going to go ahead and preach the gospel: a roasted-and-frozen tomato is so much better than a canned one! Take off their skins, quarter them, douse in olive oil, put in some peeled garlic cloves and some basil, salt and pepper, roast at 375 degrees till a bit caramelized and most of the water has evaporated. Cool and put in freezer bags. This tastes like summer all over again when you use them for sauces or soup in the winter.

"I get regular old hybrid tomatoes from a little brotherhood of potheads at the farmer's market here, because they're cheap, and because you roast till the juice is mostly gone. I would not buy expensive tomatoes, like heirlooms. These, in my mind, are to eat until the season is gone, as many as you can. Get ripe and cheap. I think it would work with paste tomatoes, but I generally have used slicers (see above--ripe & cheap)."

 
As simple as that!

I myself pop the cooled tomatoes into ice cube trays and then when frozen, into freezer bags.  Instant delicious with beans or in winter sauces!