Tomatoes--red and green

Now that frost has officially killed nearly everything in Iowa, it's time to use up all those tomatoes! My tomatoes died back in August this year courtesy of a whitefly infestation, so these photos are from last year's bounty. Both recipes use up lots of tomatoes and can be frozen for winter enjoyment.

I've made Farmgirl Fare's Green Tomato Relish the last couple years. It has a wonderful, deep flavor, (you can can it, too) and tastes a bit like green chili salsa, which is how we use it. The recipe and lots of ideas for using it can be found here: http://www.farmgirlfare.com/2005/09/saving-harvest-green-tomato-relish.html. (The relish itself is not very pretty once cooked, thus the picture of the pan full of green tomato chunks. :) )

The recipe for the roasted red and yellow tomatoes are from Joe and Lonna of Onion Creek Farm, here in central Iowa. They call them Candied Tomatoes, although there is no sugar in them. I toss them with pasta, blend them into hummus, and eat them straight. They are incredibly delicious. :) Here's the recipe:

Candied Tomatoes

from Joe and Lonna at Onion Creek Farm
4 lbs tomatoes
1 cup extra virgin olive oil (more if necessary)
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Remove stems and any blemishes.  Halve medium/small tomatoes and quarter larger ones.  Do not remove seeds.  In a metal baking pan, lay the tomato wedges 1/2 in. apart, with cut side facing up.  Coat the tomatoes generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  Bake for 30 min, turn down heat to 350 F and roast for 30 minutes longer.  Lower heat to 300 F and roast another 30 minutes.  Check to see if edges are darkened slightly.  If they have not yet turned, then lower the heat to 250 and bake 15 min before removing from the oven.  Let pan cool for 20 minutes, then pour the tomatoes along with thier oil into a shallow glass or ceramic dish.  To allow the candied tomatoes to "mellow" leave uncovered on the counter for 4-6 hours.  Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator covered completely in olive oil for short term preservation.  Alternately, freeze candied tomatoes in their oil for up to three months.  Bring them to room temperature before serving and use leftover infused olive oil in salad dressing.