TOOOOO Many Tomatoes, Help Please

lostinrates

It is perfect tomato soup weather imo, but:

Pasta sauce,

Roast them and have them as a side

Use them as a topping for bruschetta or pizza

I used to make a fabulous tomato tart, wonder where the recipe for that is...there will be one on the net.

How adventurous do you want? Clear tomato soup is esquisite, but a little extra work

glamour-mummy

make a few things with them, soup would use a lot of them up or you could make a large quiche and put some in and on top, i made a quiche the other night it was yummy, omlette maybe?

Hezzawithkids

Here's my recipe for tomato soup - a great family favourite:-

chopped onion fried gently in butter with half a teaspoon of paprika
kilo of chopped, skinned, deseeded tomatoes
pint of vegetable stock

Bring to the boil & simmer for 20 mins.
Leave to cool for a while then run through a blender to remove all the lumps
Bring back to boil and add cream if desired.

MandM90

How about make a spicy salsa, toast some bread/french stick sliced brushed with olive oil and serve on top as a starter?

Whenever I have overripe tomatoes and near-stale bread I make a bread salad, a bit like this: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/mid-summer-italian-bread-salad/

Stephen_Leak

Try this ...

SALSA DIP

Makes enough for a large bag of tortilla chips

INGREDIENTS

1 small green chilli pepper
1 small pack of fresh coriander
1 clove of garlic
½ an onion
½ a red sweet pepper
2 tomatoes
1 tablespoon of olive oil

FRESH CHILLI PEPPER WARNING!

When you chop up fresh chilli peppers be careful and avoid getting juice on your hands. If you touch your eyes, mouth or other ‘sensitive areas’, even an hour after chopping them, they will smart and burn. So wash your hands or wear rubber gloves.

METHOD

Cut the top off the chilli pepper, cut it in half and scrape out the seeds.Wash the coriander, shake it dry and then pick the leaves off the stalks. Peel the garlic. Peel the onion and cut it in half. Use one half and save the other half. Cut the top off the sweet pepper, remove the middle bit with the seeds and cut it in half. Use one half and save the other half. Cut the tomatoes into quarters and remove any hard bits.

If you have a food processor, coarsely chop the onion, sweet pepper and tomatoes. Put all of the ingredients into it and blend thoroughly.

If you have a hand blender, coarsely chop the onion, sweet pepper and tomatoes. Put all of the ingredients into a bowl and blend thoroughly.

If you don’t have a food processor or hand blender, chop the chilli pepper, coriander leaves, garlic, onion and sweet pepper into tiny pieces. Chop the tomatoes into 5mm (¼ inch) pieces. Put all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix together thoroughly.

Leave for 30 minutes for the flavours to mix.

ADDITIONS & ALTERATIONS

The green chilli pepper and red sweet pepper are important for the appearance of this dish. You could use a red chilli pepper and a green or yellow sweet pepper and it will taste the same, but it won’t look the same.

If you can’t find just one small green chilli pepper, use ½ a teaspoon of chilli powder.

Use ripe tomatoes, even any that are a bit over-ripe and going a bit soft.

Use extra virgin olive oil for preference, but normal olive oil will do.

Stephen_Leak

... and this, as it can be frozen ...

TOMATO SOUP

Makes 4 x 250ml servings

INGREDIENTS

½ a carrot
½ a stick of celery
½ an onion
200g of fresh tomatoes, with stalks
1 tablespoon of oil
400g tin of plum tomatoes
1 vegetable stock cube
500ml of water

METHOD

Cut the top off the carrot, peel it, cut it in half, chop one half into 2cm (1 inch) pieces and save the other half. Cut the celery in half, chop one half into 2cm (1 inch) pieces and save the other half. Peel the onion, cut it in half, chop one half into tiny pieces and save the other half.

Cut the tomatoes into quarters and remove any hard bits. However, keep the green stalks and add these to the soup. They will give it an amazing aroma and flavour.

Put the oil into a saucepan on a medium heat. Add the onion and fresh tomatoes. Fry for 5 to 6 minutes until the onion is soft. Stir frequently to stop them sticking.

Open the tin of tomatoes. Put the juice into the pan. Chop the tomatoes while they are still in the can (it’s easier than chasing them around the bowl). Put the chopped tomatoes into the pan.

Add the carrot, celery, stock cube and water to the pan. Stir thoroughly.

Bring to the boil, then turn down the heat until it is just boiling (simmering). Continue to cook for another 30 minutes until the carrots are soft.

If you have a food processor, put the soup in it and blend it to the desired consistency. If you have a hand blender, put it in the soup and blend it to the desired consistency. If you don’t have a food processor or hand blender, use a potato masher, press the soup through a sieve with the back of a spoon, or leave it lumpy. If you used a food processor, rinse out the saucepan and put the soup back into the saucepan.

Put the saucepan on a low heat and reheat the soup gently.

ADDITIONS & ALTERNATIVES

Use ripe fresh tomatoes, especially any that are a bit over-ripe and going a bit soft.

Substitute the tinned tomatoes for more fresh tomatoes, or vice versa.

Swirl in a little sour cream. Sprinkle on a few torn fresh basil leaves.

Serve with crusty white bread. In summer, serve chilled.

TIPS

Plum tomatoes can be used either whole or chopped. It is difficult to stick chopped tomatoes back together again if you need to use them whole.

rosie383

You can always just chuck em in the freezer if you don't have time to make anything you fancy now. Freeze them, stalks and all, and they will be perfect to use for soups and stews even out of the freezer.
If you are making soup, definitely keep the stalks on as recommended above. The soup will taste so much better, and you just whizz it up and sieve it when you are done.

matty17r

I too have quite a few toms that are getting past their best. Well I did only pay 10p each packet on the reduced counter on bank hol monday. Will try some of the above suggestions - thank you. Read on internet today that you should NOT keep tomatoes in fridge but in a cupboard. Wish I had known that earlier - my tomatoes might be in better condition!

sammyroser

Tomato Chutney! Here is my fav recipe

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2644/autumn-tomato-chutney

I also throw in a lot of mustard seeds.

Baking_Mad

What a fantastic response, thanks to all!!!

The tomato chutney above looks amazing but I'm so intrigued by the idea of using the tomato stalks that I think I'll give the soup a go this time.

Thank you all once again