{"id":3377,"date":"2017-10-13T21:38:19","date_gmt":"2017-10-13T21:38:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mrsbutterfingers.com\/?p=3377"},"modified":"2017-10-13T21:38:19","modified_gmt":"2017-10-13T21:38:19","slug":"the-magic-of-sun-dried-tomatoes-preserving-the-magic-of-summer-all-winter-long","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/mrsbutterfingers.com\/?p=3377","title":{"rendered":"THE MAGIC OF SUN DRIED TOMATOES . . . preserving the magic of summer all winter long"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"IMG_3627\"<\/a>Through the halcyon days of summer I plundered the garden for the fattest, juiciest,\u00a0 reddest of red tomatoes.\u00a0 The days shortened.\u00a0 Marine fog drifted across the fields poking destructive fingers into the garden.\u00a0 \u00a0 Time to harvest the tomatoes, ripe or green. \u00a0\u00a0 The heady fragrance of tomato leaves surrounded me as I\u00a0 filled my basket with these last jewels of summer.\"IMG_3621-001\"<\/a>The green tomatoes were tucked single layer in closed cardboard boxes.\u00a0 As they changed colour out they came to sit in a bright window.\u00a0 Taking the sun. \u00a0\u00a0 I had already frozen tomatoes for soups and stews.\u00a0 These tomatoes were to be oven roasted and frozen.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_3626\"<\/a>I cut the little cores out.\u00a0\u00a0 Sliced the tomatoes in half.\u00a0 Placed them in parchment lined pans ( saves scrubbing pans ).\u00a0\u00a0 The tomatoes were sprinkled with a little coarse sea salt and freshly ground black paper.\u00a0 Then\u00a0 with a breeze\u00a0 of olive oil and graced with whole sprigs of fresh thyme.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_3634\"<\/a>Roast the tomatoes at 275F for about five hours.\u00a0 Then increase the oven temperature to 300F for the last hour.\u00a0 Watch these little darlings.\u00a0 The smaller tomatoes will brown faster and should be removed.\u00a0 You don’t want them to become dry and brittle.\u00a0 Toss the dried thyme. \u00a0\u00a0 Store the tomatoes in plastic freezer containers with layers of parchment papers between the slices.\u00a0 Five pounds of fresh tomatoes will reduce down to about one pound.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_3639\"<\/a>It really is like magic! \u00a0 Oven roasted tomatoes on pizza are\u00a0 nothing short of divine. \u00a0 \u00a0 Tossed in pasta dishes they are brilliant shots of colour and flavour. \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 Roasted tomatoes in the humblest of sandwiches takes the sandwich to delicious heights.\u00a0 Or try coarsely chopped roasted tomatoes\u00a0 and goat cheese on a baguette.<\/p>\n

Bon Appetit dear friends.<\/p>\n

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