Why do I grow tomatoes? Because I’m frugal (but not cheap), time-challenged (read: overcommitted) and highly dependent on this rosy-red produce for the majority of my meals 12 months a year.
Tomato on food processor about to play “catch-up…”
Photo Credit: Sarah Landicho
In addition to being tasty, tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant.
Photo Credit: Robert Smaus
If I were to buy all the tomatoes I needed to meet my family’s year-round soup, sauce and stew needs, I’d be in the poorhouse. There’s also the quality factor. Ever compare the flavor of a tomato grown in local soil and plucked ripe with one trucked in from hundreds of miles away and ripened artificially en route? No comparison! Plus, because I’m a dietitian, I’m a meticulous label reader and cautious cook. I want to avoid the high levels of sodium and added corn syrup found in too many commercially prepared sauces.
In season or not, I don’t have time to run to the market every time I need a good tomato. So I grow them just steps from my back door, all summer long. Homegrown tomatoes are a luxury, a convenience and a pleasure.
As for cost, if I subtract the initial price of my young plants, seed and stakes, my fresh harvest is practically free, minus the labor. And who counts gardening as “work?” It’s more of a rich and rewarding art, science and hobby – especially for the time-stressed and hungry.
Here’s my secret for super-easy, super-fast tomato sauce, soup base, beef stew, chili and more:
- Harvest ripe tomatoes (or purchase them from a local farmers’ market). Rinse, pat dry and freeze whole in freezer-quality plastic bags until needed.
- When you need a base of tomato puree, simply defrost your tomatoes slightly – till they’re just soft enough to cut through. Remove the stem end (the tough, whitish part found within the top of the tomato – right under where the stem attaches to the fruit); cut tomatoes in halves or quarters, then mix them in a food processor until they’re pureed. This puree becomes your critical starting point for an enormous array of dishes – from chicken cacciatore and vegetable soup to Super Bowl chili and Indian curry.
- Freeze unused puree in canning jars. (Just remember to leave an inch of headspace to prevent glass jars from breaking!)
Need a few serving ideas for your wonderful puree? Try these:
Spaghetti or pizza sauce: Defrost tomato puree and pour into a saucepan with crushed garlic, chopped fresh or dried basil and oregano to taste. (I recommend using at least 1 clove of garlic and 1 tbsp. each of the basil and oregano.) Stir in enough tomato paste to thicken (start with one small can). Add a pinch of sugar and salt to taste. Simmer to blend flavors, and adjust seasonings to your liking.
Vegetable soup: Defrost tomato puree and pour into a large stockpot. Add vegetables of your choice and simmer till tender. (Be sure to cut veggies in similar-sized chunks to assure even cooking.) Season with herbs from your garden – try basil, oregano and thyme for starters. Top your bowl of steaming soup with shredded parmesan cheese and serve with crusty bread for a quick and nourishing meal. Chili: Sauté meat of your choice till browned in stockpot or Dutch oven. Drain fat. Add defrosted tomato puree and cooked red, kidney and pinto beans. Season with chili powder, cumin, chopped chilies, [onions](/plants/allium-cepa, [red peppers](/plants/capsicum-annuum, minced garlic and salt to taste. Simmer until flavors are blended. Serve with warm-from-the-oven cornbread.
Beef stew: Brown chuck or arm roast in a cast-iron Dutch oven till brown. Add tomato puree, crushed garlic, chopped onion, potatoes (quartered or halved) and chopped carrots. Cover with lid and simmer until meat and veggies are tender. Season to taste.
Tomatoes are nutritional powerhouses. They contain high amounts of water and fiber, making them low in calories, but appetite-satisfying. Tomatoes are also a natural source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant in the vitamin A family that can help prevent both heart disease and prostate cancer. In fact, a Harvard University study showed that the risk of prostate cancer was a third lower in men who ate tomato-based products more than 10 times a week as compared with men who ate them less than twice a week. Cooked tomato products, from which lycopene is most easily absorbed, offer the most protection.
All the more reason to enjoy tomato-based soups, stews, and pizza and spaghetti sauces year-round!
