Fresh Tomato Pasta Sauce

 

Grape tomatoes ripen on the vine.

Oh what plans I had for posting lots of recipes using fresh garden produce this summer. As Robert Burns said:

The best laid schemes o' mice and men 

Gang aft a-gley . (often go awry)

The spring planting turned into an early summer planting because the weather stayed so cool so late. Then there were the squash bugs .... a veritable invasion. The poor squash, aside from being totally 'bugged out' (despite daily attention with insecticidal soap), for some reason did not produce female flowers which produce the squash. They were loaded with blooms .... all male. Hmmmm. This has been a good year for peppers and I've got a lot starting to mature and there are three eggplant blossoms .... the harvest to date has been only one eggplant so hopefully, the blooms will develop.

Tomatoes, along with the peppers have done quite well. There were three kinds (one of each) planted in this year's 'square foot garden' experiment. For those not familiar with 'square foot' gardening, it boils down to a few, very well cared for plants as opposed to a large garden full of plants that quickly declines into a weed bed. I am not good with weeds .... hate 'em, don't like spending time weeding, and all my previous large gardens have been over-planted, over-crowded, and quickly become weedy jungles. So far, the smaller garden is working for me .... there's just not enough produce between the few plants and the weather/insect/disease issues.

Back to the tomatoes .... there are too many for me to eat right now. As much as I love tomato sandwiches, I've hit my limit. What to do with all these tomatoes? There are not enough to can ... something I definitely want to learn to do. Then I saw this recipe for a fresh tomato pasta sauce online. What interests me is the technique of freezing tomatoes whole, then using them later for the sauce. Evidently, the skins slip right off when the tomatoes are thawed ..... I'm liking that a lot!  You can take this tomato preservation/sauce idea and do lots with it - it doesn't have to be just for a spaghetti sauce.

Here is the link to the sauce:

Homegrown, Homemade Pasta Sauce

My first bag of tomatoes went into the freezer this morning ..... we'll see how it all works out, but I expect good success. What makes me really happy is that a lot of beautiful tomatoes will not be going to waste.

Zucchini Many Ways

Baby Zucchini

The first squash (1 zucchini and 1 crookneck) came off the vines this evening and hit the frying pan, along with some onions, olive oil and butter. With a little salt and pepper to top it all off, it was a wonderful way to start the summer garden produce season. Looking at the vines, there are plenty of baby zucchini and before long, we're going to be inundated. It's all too easy to let zucchini get too big, too old and then it starts going to waste - there's only so much zucchini bread one can make! Rather than let that happen, here are some techniques for preserving zucchini and some not-so-common recipes to help utilize all of that gorgeous zucchini.

I was thinking that zucchini would not freeze well due to the high water content, but evidently it does freeze nicely. You can also dehydrate zucchini for use in soups and stews - a nice addition in the cold winter months. Zucchini evidently makes good pickles and relish as well.

5 Ways to Preserve Zucchini

Not everybody likes squash, but most folks (and kids) like 'chips'. You can utilize a lot of zucchini to make chips, a tasty snack or side for picnic fare or to serve with salsa. You can make chips by oven-frying, actually frying or dehydration - here are recipes and ideas for all three methods:

Breaded, oven fried zucchini chips

Oven Baked Zucchini Chips

Zucchini Chips with Spicy Salsa

(Fried) Crispy Zucchini Chips

Fish and (oven-fried) zucchini chips

Dehydrated Zucchini Chips (several spice variations)

If you prefer 'fries', versatile zucchini can do that, too!

Oven Baked Zucchini Fries

I happen to love relish and had no idea that zucchini makes really good relish! The first recipe requires no canning. The zucchini can get soggy the longer it sits, so best to make it fresh and use it quickly - see the recipe reviews for ideas. Of course, canning gives you a product that can be kept and used months later, or perhaps it would make a good homemade gift for a special occasion or person.

Zucchini Relish (no canning)

Sweet Zucchini Relish (canned)

Ball Blue Book (2008) Zucchini Relish & 'Zesty' Zucchini Relish

For links to many other ways to use zucchini such as zucchini cheese boats, bison-zucchini burgers, three unusual bread recipes, a gratin with zucchini, tomatoes and eggplant, and bread and butter pickles:

Article: zucchini, zucchini everywhere! — fresh talk

Last but not least, if you run through all the preserving techniques and recipes above and still have too much zucchini, here are some last resort ideas: 

Top 10 Things to Do with Too Much Zucchini

 

The 2013 garden, newly planted.

(Photos: Merlot)