Foods Alive Recipes + Newsletter
SUN-DRIED TOMATO MARINARA
My favorite dried food is slowly ripening on the vine in our garden. I have trimmed off excess greenery and tied the sturdy stems to support sticks and cages with handy plastic cable wires.
I apologized to my prolific, healthy and happy tomato plants for the use of such an unfriendly, sharp edged, petroleum based product, but found comfort in the thought that I had given them such a nice feed of ground kelp in late spring. Life just can’t be perfect all the time, even for a row of tomato plants that receive verbal encouragement and grow on a sunny home plot overlooking Grindrod’s farm valley.
The orange cherry tomatoes, a heritage seed variety, bought at the Enderby Seed Swap this spring, are sweet, juicy and free of blemishes. The first Roma tomato is turning red and thoughts of the drying process have wandered my way. The process is time consuming but rewarding. It also gives my need to “squirrel” a satisfying booster shot. I aim to stretch that booster shot well into the winter, eliminating boosters to the immune system that require a needle and a visit to a clinic.
Peeling the tomatoes, ( taking out the seeds is optional) speeds up the drying process by at least one third. A quick scald to remove the peel is all that is necessary. Marinating the cherry tomatoes in a mixture of oil, balsamic vinegar, basil and garlic for a few hours, before dehydrating will produce a truly gourmet addition that is ready to use for salads, pasta additions or sandwiches.
Taste the tomatoes, before you dehydrate them. Different sugar contents changes the final result. You might like to use lemon juice and a little honey or agave nectar.
Lycopene and a very high concentration of Vitamin C gives the tomato it’s well deserved power food rating. Ketchup and dried tomatoes are especially high in these cancer fighting nutrients. Most organic brands of ketchup will deliver 183 micrograms of lycopene, about five times as much as a tomato. Non-organic brands averaged 100 micograms per gram.
Teaming up oil and fiber rich avocado’s with tomatoes will help your body assimilate and utilize the nutrients. Sorry guys, a side of fries, smothered with ketchup is not going to do much for your prostate.
Recipe of the Week
SUN-DRIED TOMATO MARINARA
6 ripe roma tomatoes,
1 ½ cups of sun-dried tomatoes,
1 cup finely chopped basil
1 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. celtic sea salt
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried rosemary
5 drops of Stevia
1 garlic glove, minced
Cut the fresh tomatoes in half. Scoop out the seeds ( optional) and chop tomatoes small. Transfer to a large bowl. Combine the sun-dried tomatoes with all the remaining ingredients and process in a blender until smooth. Stir into chopped tomatoes. Serve over julienned zucchini. Delicious hot or at room temperature.
You can find a julienne slicer under ten dollars in most kitchen stores.