Freezing OntarioTomatoes

"Only two things that money can't buy, that's true love and home grown tomatoes." John Denver

Hello followers, hope you're enjoying this lovely day!
Busy, busy, busy... That's the best way to describe our lives around here lately! Not only is work a bit hectic, but we are off to Cuba on Wednesday for my brother Jordan's wedding at the end of the week! Amazing! So, with all of the planning, laundry and packing it's no wonder that I forgot about something important. Our tomatoes!!! We've been eating them as quickly as they ripen and the thought missing out on any of our wonderful homegrown tomatoes made me really sad! Well, that is until I remembered that I could simply freeze them whole! So, I decided to document the method and share this easy process for all of you with an abundance of tomatoes.

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Freezing OntarioTomatoes

Pick your ripest tomatoes and put on a pot of water to boil. Also, fill a bowl with cold water and set aside. With a sharp paring knife, cut out the stem and score a cross on the bottom of the tomatoes. When the water is boiling, plunge your tomatoes in for a minute or so, until the skins are starting to come away. Lift them out and place them in the bowl of cold water. Peel the skins off and put them into a resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag across, leave a small opening at one end and insert a straw. Take a deep breath and suck out the air (this could take a couple of goes!), until it is as airtight as you can get it. Place the bag into the freezer and store for 6 to 8 months. Enjoy!



I like to freeze my tomatoes whole, but you could also cut them up and continue freezing them with the same method. Believe me when I tell you that it is a great feeling to know that you are eating your home grown tomatoes in the dead of winter! I like to use them in sauces and soups. Well, have a great couple of weeks my fun followers and I will be back with a lot of pictures from our trip and maybe a tasty recipe or two from Cuba! Adios!

Pan Con Tomate

"It's difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." Lewis Grizzard

Isn't that quote the truth, my followers?
When I think of homegrown tomatoes I think of my Dad and our neighbour Nina. Every summer the competition was on for the biggest and best beefsteak tomatoes on the block! I swear, some of them were so huge they could barely fit in my hands! I loved those tomatoes so much and as soon as they were ripe enough, we would enjoy them in delicious toasted tomato sandwiches, simply made with mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Yum! So with our own tomatoes ripening by day the day, it's needless to say that my sweetie and I have been enjoying our fair share of toasted tomato sandwiches! Actually, we've been enjoying our homegrown tomatoes just about daily with just about every meal! Having so many ripe tomatoes has become a bit of a challenge which I have really been enjoying! And just now, while on my walk this morning, I thought of something else I could prepare with our homegrown tomatoes... The wonderful Spanish dish called 'pan con tomate'! I remember a few years ago while working at All The Best Fine Foods in Toronto, there was a rep from a Spanish olive oil company. He came in, set up his little stand, got out a box grater and started to grate tomatoes into a bowl. Next, he drizzled in some extra virgin olive oil, sprinkled in sea salt and stirred. Then, he toasted some slices of bread, rubbed them with a garlic clove, spooned on the seasoned tomato pulp and offered me one. Well, I had never tasted anything like it and was amazed with the simplicity of it all! When I asked him how this modest offering could be so wonderful, he simply said 'The tomatoes must be in season and perfectly ripe.' No problem there!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Pan Con Tomate
(serves 4)

1 tomato, Ontario grown and perfectly ripe!
1 to 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, good quality
sea salt
3 to 4 slices of bread

Using a box grater, grate the tomato into a bowl and discard the skin. Drizzle in the olive oil, sprinkle in salt and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed. Either toast the bread in the toaster, or under the broiler. Rub the top surface of the bread with the garlic clove. Spoon over the tomato pulp and serve immediately. Buen provecho!

How easy it that?! And believe me, once you've tasted it, you'll enjoy Pan Con Tomate every summer when your homegrown tomatoes are ripe! Alrighty followers, I gotta run but I'll be back next week and chances are we'll still be talking tomatoes! Bye for now!