Putting Up: Crushed Tomatoes and an Anniversary

Posted on September 9, 2016 by diary of a tomato

Putting Up: Crushed Tomatoes

Another Labor Day weekend has come and gone, and with it the annual session I reserve just for canning tomatoes. Now at their peak, I took advantage of Orange Circle Farm’s online system to order enough Roma tomatoes to last me the coming winter. As one of the paste variety of tomatoes, these luscious beauties have a high flesh to seed ratio and minimal amount of core, making them well-suited to canning, and a joy to handle and process.

Putting Up: Crushed Tomatoes

Through the years I’ve canned tomatoes in various forms — whole, sauced, as ketchup and paste — and it’s as crushed that I’ve come to rely on as a staple. The tomatoes are packed conveniently in their own juices, and the processing time is less then if left whole. Figuring that 20 pounds would yield a dozen pints, I somehow came up with 16, so count on somewhere between the two. As for the upside down jars, a quick flip after leaving them to cool overnight allows the solids to settle back into their liquids.

Putting Up: Crushed Tomatoes

Canning tip: If using a boiling water canner and once the processing time is up, turn off the heat, remove the pot lid, and let the jars sit for an additional 5 minutes before lifting them out of the pot. This slight cooling period helps to prevent siphoning — the contents being forced out due to the sudden change in temperature when the jars are removed from the hot bath — a common occurrence. After the jars have been left to cool undisturbed for 12 to 24 hours, remove the rings, check the seal and give the jars a quick rinse to remove any food residue. And, yes, for those who’ve asked, it’s recommended that jars be stored without the ring bands to allow you to see if the vacuum seal is broken.

Has this much time passed already? This post coincidentally marks the fifth anniversary of Diary of a Tomato — I am ever so grateful to you all, dear friends, for your continued support and readership, and look forward to sharing the ever-changing seasons to come.

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Salad Days — Lobster with Corn and Basil

Posted on August 12, 2016 by diary of a tomato

Salad Days

I’d returned from a week hiking in Newfoundland and, faced with a bare fridge and a radical change in weather, I was glad to be able to cobble together a summery lobster salad mixed with niblets of sweet corn and a handful of herbs plucked from the garden. I’d spent so much time sampling traditional cod dishes while in Newfoundland, I never got around to their local lobster and came home with a craving for just this, one of my favorite dishes of the season.

Local ingredients — Lobster from Sanders Fish Market, local corn from Golden Harvest, salad greens from Generation Farm, and herbs from the garden.

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Unfurling

Posted on May 10, 2016 by diary of a tomato

Unfurling

It’s as if we’ve all been unconsciously waiting with our breaths held, and the arrival this week of more temperate weather has allowed us to finally exhale, open the windows to let in the air, and stretch towards the springtime sun. The trees responded immediately to the change by quickly uncurling their leafy tips, the new foliage forming a lacy pattern in the bordering woods. Across the neighborhood the hum of lawn mowers could be heard, everyone rushing to catch up after what seemed like endless days of rain. I could swear that my own grassy patch sprouted at least another inch between the morning’s shearing and day’s end.

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First signs of spring

Posted on March 20, 2016 by diary of a tomato

First signs of spring

No matter how dark or optimal the storage conditions, roots somehow know the changing of the season. Though the bulbs may be spent in the effort, their newly emergent greens are a welcome addition in my kitchen — chopped up, they’re sure to add a hint of spring to a soup, sauté or salad. As the light brightens and the days lengthen, happy vernal equinox, dear friends.

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Pan-Fried Noodles with Curried Chicken & Tofu

Posted on February 8, 2016 by diary of a tomato

Noodles with Curried Chicken & Tofu

I meant to make longevity noodles to celebrate Chinese New Year’s and, with time running shorter than expected, instead threw together some kitchen staples for a bowlful of pan-fried noodles with curried chicken sausage and marinated tofu — a dish that cooked up so quickly, it almost qualifies as take-out. The noodles are thickish udon, boiled than pan-fried to crisp the edges. Next, a couple of links of Vernon Family Farm‘s curried chicken sausage were removed from their casings, and browned until the meat became crumbly and fragrant. Some baked and marinated Heiwa tofu found residing in the fridge added heft, while a dose of chicken broth simmered with a bit of cornstarch completed the sauce. All it took to finish was a gentle toss with the noodles and a squeeze of Anju’s Son-Mat hot sauce for extra heat. As untraditional as this dish may be, it feels like an auspicious start. Gung hay fat choy, dear friends, may the year of the Monkey bring you many good things.

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And many miles to go

Posted on January 29, 2016 by diary of a tomato

Many miles to go

“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.”
— Robert Frost

A late fall walk among the woods at Pawtuckaway State Park brought this poem of Robert Frost’s to mind, the words echoing in my head with each step. It’s a place Frost frequented, and I leave newly inspired each time I travel the same paths he may have.

Many miles to go

The year’s gotten off to a fast start and, as I continue to revisit this place, making my way down these increasingly familiar trails is like winding through a labyrinth, a kind of moving meditation to slow things down and a reminder to pay attention to the present.

Many miles to go

I look forward to your continuing company and have much to share in the time to come. Meanwhile, Happy New Year, dear friends, let’s make the most of it.

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New Traditions: Christmas Eve at The Franklin Oyster House

Posted on December 24, 2015 by diary of a tomato

New Traditions: Christmas Eve at The Franklin

The many changes of the past year calls for new traditions, and one of them is having oysters on Christmas Eve at The Franklin Oyster House. There’s always a large selection to choose from and, to make it easy on the undecided, they offer a Shuckers Dozen. Tonight’s selection ranged from clean and light Whalebacks from Maine, sweet Barnstables from Massachusetts, and plump North Havens also from Maine. There’s usually something unexpected included in the mix, and the surprise of the evening were buttery Ruisseaus from Nova Scotia. These hard to come by bivalves are grown where freshwater mingles with the Atlantic to produce a succulent, meaty oyster with a crisp and briny finish — I can’t wait to taste what else this part of the Gulf of Maine has to offer.

New Traditions: Christmas Eve at The Franklin

In honor of the holiday, The Franklin offered a special menu, and the Duck Egg Hash with  house-smoked brisket proved a richly satisfying choice for my non-oyster eating companion. Many thanks to the two Chef Matts and their excellent crew for not only making this holiday special, but for providing an always welcome home away from home. Next year we promise to arrive in time for the caroling. As the saying goes, “As goes Cbristmas Eve, goes the year.”  Happy holidays, dear friends, light-filled days are ahead.

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