I'm like a squirrel with nuts. Half way through Summer, I start hoarding tomatoes. I go to the Farmers Market and then cook down the oddly-shaped, fragrant orbs—and put them into clean containers. I write which market I got them from, the date, and then how much is there. Measure out a half cup, of even a full. (A quick trick: because then you can use them straight from your freezer into recipes that might require either). Then I pop them in the freeze.
If you still have tomatoes at your farmer's market, wander down and seize as many as you can, roast them (400 degrees for 20 minutes will do) in Olive Oil and sea salt, and then freeze them, or—stew them down on a stove top over Medium/Low with a bit of Salt and Pepper (and a tiny bit of water so they don't burn). Season to taste.
Then in February you can mention to your friends: See these tomatoes tossed lightly through the pasta? They're the ones I stewed down from Union Square Market, last July. Such a warm feeling to be able to bring Summer, into the dead of Winter.
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Illustration by David Miller.
Welcome Illustrator David Miller to my blog. Check out his work, here.