Posted by Sidra Forman on Wed, Sep 23, 2009
Although it's officially fall, many of the summer crops I planted in my garden continue to produce. Right now, I'm getting more tomatoes than I got in the middle of the summer. (In most parts of the country local tomatoes are available until the first frost of the season.) Mid-summer, I usually eat tomatoes raw in a salad, on their own, chopped with onions and herbs as a condiment, and mixed in with whole grains and beans. But as the season changes, I find the idea of cooked tomatoes much more appealing.
There are a variety of ways to cook them, but these are a couple of my favorites. You can then serve them as a side dish to meat, fish, poultry and other veggies or on their own. If you have any herbs in your garden, try adding those as well. Basil, oregano, Italian parsley, sage and rosemary all taste delicious with both of these preparations.
Roasted: Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cut tomatoes in half and slice onions. Coat both with vegetable oil cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Place tomatoes cut-side down on a baking sheet and cook for 20 minutes. (Green tomatoes are delicious prepared exactly the same way, especially if you add a few cloves of garlic.)
Stewed: Place quartered and cored tomatoes, chopped onion, diced garlic and chopped rosemary in a pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until tomatoes become soft, about 15 minutes.
Posted by Sidra Forman on Thu, Jul 23, 2009
After choosing the healthiest, freshest picks at your grocery store and taking the time to prepare and cook them, the last thing you want to do is slap on any old condiment. This summer, try your hand at making your own ketchup, and you'll be rewarded with a healthier, tastier version that contains significantly less salt and sodium.
Summer is the perfect time to whip up your own ketchup because tomatoes are abundant right now. (I was horrified recently when a child responded to my homemade ketchup by saying, 'I didn't know ketchup was made with tomatoes!') Plus, grilled foods (like turkey burgers and roasted veggies) are great topped with ketchup.
Try this easy recipe before your next big barbecue. You can also use this recipe to create a spicy barbecue sauce for chicken—simply add a little little hot sauce (about 1/2 tablespoon) and molasses (about 1/4 teaspoon).
Homemade Ketchup
Makes 2 1/2 cups
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS
4 large tomatoes, chopped
3 tablespoons brown sugar
Dash of cinnamon
Small pinch of cloves
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
DIRECTIONS
1. Place all ingredients in a medium sauce pan and bring to a simmer. Cook until ketchup gets thick; this will vary depending on the amount of water in the tomatoes but should take from 15 to 30 minutes.
2. Place the mixture in a food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Chill and use.
Nutritional Information
1 serving (2 tablespoons)
Calories: 22
Protein: 0.5 g
Carbohydrate: 5 g
Dietary Fiber: 0.8 g
Sugars: 2 g
Total Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Calcium: 10 mg
Sodium: 4 mg