Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Drowning in Garden Tomatoes

Is it possible to have too many homegrown tomatoes? The answer is yes, and the condition is contagious.
Thanks to a summer that was slow to get out of bed (hot days didn't hit until late August) the green tomatoes hanging on the plants around here didn't turn red until, well, about 5 minutes ago. And they are all red right now, just when everybody is so busy with the wine harvest that they are never home.

As a result, when anyone has a get-together, all the guests bring tomato dishes -- and boy, are they inventive. At a BBQ this weekend, we had spicy Mexican salsa; black beans, tomatoes and onions; a chutney made exclusively with the sweetest tiny tomatoes; and a cabbage slaw with a dressing made with crushed tomatoes.
We're even going retro-- a neighbor reports she's baking them with breadcrumbs just like her mom did back in the '50s.
One BBQer said she has a plan: eat as many garden tomatoes as she possibly can during the season and then totally avoid the store-bought version the rest of the year. Call it tomato bingeing.

In case the tomato glut has hit your kitchen, check out these clever recipes. Do you have a favorite?
Let's binge away!

Fresh Tomato Pie
http://busycooks.about.com/od/savorypierecipes/r/tomatopie.htm ;

Fire and Fruit Yellow Tomato Salsa
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=1898440

Italian Bread Salad
http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/mid-summer-italian-bread-salad/Detail.aspx