Dried Tomatoes

 

Dried Tomatoes

By Bryan Chapman

With tomatoes in season, one must do all they can to preserve these wonderful gems for later use. My primary method, is drying. Dusted with herbs and spices, dried tomatoes can keep pleasure and joy coming to any recipe, well into the cold winter months, and out into the other side of Spring, where, it will be time to plant more.

For this recipe, you will, of course, need some method of drying. I wish, fellow followers of the sumptuous life, I could show you a drying rack of well-used screen, girded by a frame of wood, darkened with the patina of time. Alas (sigh), I as yet, have no such drying racks, so you will have to tolerate my photo of… plastic. I humbly apologize for jarring you out of the Willowed Path dream, and into the realm of mundania.

Dried Tomatoes
By Bryan Chapman

INGREDIENTS
Roma tomatoes, approximately 5 tomatoes per drying rack
Oregano, dried
Basil, dried
Kosher salt

METHOD
1. Cut tomatoes, crosswise, into 3/16” to 1/4" thick slices. The actual thickness, of course, will depend on the thickness of your drying racks. The tops of the tomato slices should not touch the bottom of the rack stacked above it.

2. Place tomato slices onto a drying rack, so that the slices only touch each other. Packing them too tightly will inhibit drying, and increase drying time. I have notice, depending on the thickness of the slices; I average about 5 roma tomatoes per circular drying rack.

3. Sprinkle tomato slices with kosher salt, basil, and oregano. You will notice I have made no listing of amounts for these ingredients. The reason for this is not that I am a lazy budge (which, I can be, but it does not figure into this recipe), but because it depends on the number of drying racks used. By looking at the included photo, and experimentation, you should be able to develop a method that best suits you and yours. As a quick rule of thumb, however, for 20 tomatoes (4 racks), I would use the following:

· 1 Tbsp Oregano, dried
· 1 Tbsp Basil, dried
· ½ tsp Kosher salt

4. Stack racks onto your dryer, and turn the temperature to 135 degrees F. Your specific drying method may require something different.

5. Check them approximately every 4 hours. This will let you see their progress.

6. For the actual drying time, you will need to experiment. Many factors go into making up this time, from slice thickness, to packing density, to type and temperature of dryer. But, expect it to be a minimum of 12 hours. When ready, the tomatoes should be crisp and not squishy.

Leaving water in the tomatoes will cause them to mold, and all your hard work will be not but hen food. Large diameter slices will dry more quickly than end pieces. You can either remove the larger slices as they become dry, or leave them until all the slices are finished. Leaving them longer will not hurt them.

7. When, however, you feel the tomatoes are satisfactorily parched, remove them from the racks and place into a sealable jar; include a moisture absorber in the bottom. This can be either the small, moisture absorbing desiccant packets found in other products that you have recycled for your own use, or, a muslin-wrapped, teabag-sized sachet of white rice (the only true, appropriate use for cheap white rice), tied shut with a length of kitchen string.

Now, as the snow flies, the icy sparkle of winter can be warmed with the sparkle of lovingly dried tomatoes, added to any dish.


Cooking Suggestion
The tomatoes from the above recipe may be used in almost any dish. If the recipe requires a lengthy cooking time, merely add them in with the other ingredients. If a short cooking time is required, or you want to use them raw, you may wish to reconstitute the tomatoes first. This can be done by soaking them in a small bowl of warm water, until they are soft and pliable. If the recipe allows, add the water used for reconstitution into the dish, as well; there is no need to waste flavor.

For me, a more relished method of their use, is to sauté the dried tomatoes in a tablespoon of olive oil, preferably along with any other recipe ingredients that are to be sautéed for the dish. With this method, the tomatoes seem to melt, lovingly, and blend much more preciously with the other ingredients. Please give it a try, and rejoice at the experience.

 

 

Slow Roasted Tomatoes

 

Slow Roast Tomatoes
By Bryan Chapman

Ah, good fae friends, I have a new obsession. Well, several, to be exact, but this one centers around tomatoes. Is there anything better, than sampling a fresh tomato, lovingly sweetened by its own vine? Yes, I believe there is. That same tomato, even more lovingly brought into the kitchen, and prepared for your homely pantry.

Recently, I discovered a recipe, from the Kalyn’s Kitchen weblog, showing a procedure for slow roasting tomatoes. Normally, I dry mine, but these looked exceptionally tempting. So, throwing caution to the wind, I launched myself into the project. O, good reader, I am so glad I did. The result was a crunchy, velvety morsel of caramelized goodness. I simply cannot wait to go to my favorite baker and grab a nice, sourdough baguette, smear it sinfully with goat cheese, and crown it with a dice of these gems. Surely such a treat would be the talk of any butterfly hunt’s picnic.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes
(Using roasting suggestions found on the Kalyn’s Kitchen weblog)

INGREDIENTS
20 Roma tomatoes, washed and dried
2 tsp. Kosher salt
½ Tbsp Basil, dried
1 Tbsp Oregano, dried
1 tsp Fennel seed, crushed
Olive oil (use a standard olive oil, not extra-virgin)

METHOD
1. Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees F. This will give you a cooking time of around 9 hours. Also, place the oven rack on the center shelf, or higher. Its placement will depend on your oven.

2. Oil an 11” x 17” sheet pan. Several methods may be used in doing this. You may drizzle or brush the oil on, convert a plant mister to kitchen use, or, use a quality olive oil spray. I chose the drizzle method, using 1 Tbsp of olive oil, brushing it evenly over the sheet pan. You can also combine 2 Tbsp olive oil and the herbs in a bowl, and then toss the tomatoes, coating them evenly. I, for the most part, avoid this method, believing it leaves too much of the ingredients in the bowl, and not on the tomatoes.

3. Cut the tomatoes in half, lengthwise. Sprinkle the flesh side of the tomatoes with the kosher salt, herbs, and fennel seeds.

A note on the fennel seeds – when it comes to spices, I try to keep my supplies whole, and in their “natural” state, crushing or grinding them as needed. Usually, since I only require a small amount, I do this by hand, with a small pestle and mortar. Unfortunately, at the time of testing and developing this recipe, I was unable to find mine. So, I used the next best combination – a soup bowl, and the back of a metal spoon. Needless to say, the fennel seed were not overly ground, and were, instead, only slightly more than cracked, well and proper. Ashamedly, this was due to my hand becoming cramped, and me, quite frankly, having fallen into a melancholy of boredom. However, on my second batch, my pestle and mortar had been located, so I was able to do battle with the fennel seeds, and pulverize them completely, into a fine powder. Now, to you, this may seem like a victory, as it was to me. Unfortunately, upon tasting the second batch, I discovered that the taste the fennel seed were not as prominent as in the first, nor was the aroma as seductive. So, for subsequent batches, I have gone back to only partially grinding the seeds.

4. Being careful not to lose your herbs, place the tomatoes, flesh side down, on the sheet pan. Spray, mist or brush olive oil onto the skin sides of the tomatoes.

5. Place tomatoes into the oven. Check on them every 2 hours, just to see their progress.

6. After 9 hours (and this is an approximation, depending on your oven), I was satisfied with how they looked, so I removed them from the oven to cool. Their color was wonderful!

It would seem, most folk remove the skins – I did not. After seeing the tomatoes in their final stage, the skins reminded me of the decorative tissue papers used, when loving friends present you with a gift bag. In that light, good reader, I ask you, “How? How could I have discarded such wonderful little things?” Besides, upon eating one of the little treasures, the skins were not noticeable, and dissolved readily so as not to be a nuisance. This is, of course, up to you.

7. Allow the tomatoes to cool on the sheet pans. Then place them on a flat surface, sheet pans included, in your freezer. Following this method will allow them to freeze individually, and not as a solid mass. The reason for following this method will become apparent the first time you wish to remove only one or two, and not the frozen lump, in its entirety.

 

 

Greetings, fae friends!

 

Ah, it's good to see you have found The Willowed Path. Please, have a seat in one of the many comfortable wingbacks. I'll put the kettle on, and we can chat. If you like, I can make us a bit to eat....