Microwave Tomato Sauce
We've developed a simple microwave method of cooking tomatoes down for sauce. We cut out the stem ends and blanch the whole tomatoes in boiling water until the skins begin to split (about a minute), then plunge them into cold water so they're easy to handle. Then we slip off the skin and squeeze out the seeds. We put the tomatoes in an uncovered bowl and microwave until bubbling, 8 to 12 minutes. Then we pour the tomatoes into a colander and let them sit to drain. We repeat this process in the microwave until the sauce reaches the thickness we're looking for. If you leave the sauce in the refrigerator overnight, even more liquid will separate. It sure beats standing over a hot stove on a summer day, stirring tomato sauce.
Tomato Flakes
When I have extra tomatoes, I put them whole into the food processor, along with fresh herbs-- basil, thyme, oregano-- and sometimes peppers. I process them until they become liquid, then pour the contents in fairly thin layers onto the fruit-leather sheets that come with my dehydrator. When the tomato sheets are thoroughly dry, I crumble them into flakes and put them in a jar. These flakes are great in winter when you don't want to buy tasteless, grocery store tomatoes. You can add the flakes to sandwiches, soups, and salads. The flavor is fantastic, and the flakes are instantly available. They also make a great gift because of their lovely color.
Tomato Ristra
Around the end of September, I break off clusters of green plum tomatoes that won't have time to ripen before frost. I hold a piece of strong twine like a noose and drape the tomato clusters over the twine, starting at the bottom of the noose and working up the sides. Then I tie the ends of the twine together and hang the tomatoes in the kitchen. The air circulation allows the tomatoes to ripen slowly, without rotting, so they are ready to eat by Christmas. We used to ripen tomatoes this way in Italy, where I was born. These tomatoes don't taste as good as those ripened on the vine,but they're better than you might think.
