Tomatoes keep straggling into my kitchen from my fall garden, rather scarred, cracked and water-logged. A week of rain and cool temps have left them a little worse for wear, but they gallantly keep right on producing. In my book, the best way to work with these late season tomatoes is to concentrate their flavors by cooking them down into something thick and rich, like Smoky Tomato Jam. Read more ›
Tomato season is over for Minneapolis with two nights of hard frosts under out belts (three weeks early, I might add). To celebrate the last of my harvest I made tomato broth and tomato paste from the same batch of tomatoes. Read more ›
Salsa is a staple in my house. I use it in burritos, rice, as a base for chili, chicken and pork dishes and over eggs. It’s just a great condiment to have on hand, particularly the homemade variety. And it’s a life-saver in the middle of winter. I like Mexican-style salsas with dried red chilies and tomatoes blended smooth. Read more ›
I learned to can tomatoes beside my mother in our farm pump house every summer as a kid. She had a big pressure cooker, a series of propane burners and lots of ball canning jars. Read more ›