Tomatoes picked fresh from the garden are one of the most delightful aspects of growing a veggie garden. They produce an amazingly high yield, which is both gratifying, and at times, a little overwhelming! Don’t put in all the hard work of growing and then have fresh vegetables go to waste because you don’t know what to do with them.
What Can I Do With All These Fresh Tomatoes From My Garden?
Luckily, there are so many recipes out there that can put those fresh garden tomatoes to use. They are used in just about every different kind of cooking you can think of, but it’s the basic recipes that will help you preserve and enjoy your tomatoes for months to come that we love the most. Here are three of our favorite garden tomato recipes!
Homemade Salsa With Garden Tomatoes
Salsa is undeniably one of the most delectable ways to eat lots of raw fruit or veggies in a single sitting. It is also a really versatile staple to learn how to master because it can be customized in so many different ways, which is why it is one of our favorite recipes to make a dent in that fresh garden tomato harvest. Here’s a simple, easy recipe for salsa using fresh garden tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 10 fresh tomatoes
- ½ cup red onion, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ⅓ cup cilantro
- ½ tsp sugar
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 hot peppers (jalapeno) if heat is desired
Instructions
- Rinse & dry your tomatoes
- Chop into bite-sized pieces
- Mix with remaining ingredients
- Put all ingredients in food processor
- Pulse until desired consistency
- Eat immediately or store for up to 5 daysYou can also add roasted sweet bell peppers, spicy chili peppers if you like it hot, or even black beans, roasted garlic, or corn.
Spaghetti Sauce With Garden Tomatoes
Making tomato sauce isn’t difficult, but it can be a bit labor-intensive, particularly if you want to make a large enough volume to can and preserve over the winter season. Depending on how much sauce you want to end up with, you can either divide or multiply the number of garden tomatoes and other ingredients in this recipe.
Ingredients
- 5 pounds firm, rinsed tomatoes
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, halved
- 1 basil sprig
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Rinse & dry tomatoes
- Slice tomatoes in half
- Squeeze out seeds, discard
- Grate tomatoes using a cheese grater
- Discard Skins
- Take tomato pulp & heat at medium-high in large pot
- Add remaining ingredients & stir
- Once ingredients reach a boil, bring down to a simmer and occasionally stir until desired consistency is reached (this step reduces and thickens the sauce)You should be left with approximately 2.5 to 3 cups of sauce.Your sauce will keep if refrigerated for about five days or can be frozen and stored for future use. If you want to multiply the ingredients to can and store over the winter, be sure to follow the USDA Guide to Home Canning which outlines proper sterilization techniques.
Garden Fresh Tomato Soup
Tomato soup is one of the best recipes to use up those garden tomatoes, similar to the spaghetti sauce; it can be frozen and kept for a cold winter’s day! It’s simple, straightforward, delicious, and you can use all different varieties of tomatoes to make it.
Ingredients
- 4 pounds tomatoes
- 4 garlic cloves
- ½ onion, minced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2.5 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups broth
- Basil (dried) to taste
- Oregano (dried) to taste
- Parsley (dried) to taste
- ½ tsp Himalayan sea salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ¼ cup parmesan cheese (optional)
- ¼ cup heavy cream (optional)
- Fresh basil (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F
- Wash, dry, and cut your tomatoes in half
- Place tomatoes, onion, pepper, garlic in a large pan
- Sprinkle olive oil, salt, pepper, basil, oregano, parsley on top and toss lightly
- Roast in the oven for 30 minutes
- Broil for 1 – 2 minutes (optional)
- Bring broth to broil in a large pot, add ingredients from pan, and stir
- Blend all ingredients using a blender (hand blenders make this easier to do right in the pot!)
- Add cream if desired (helps to reduce tartness, but is totally optional)
- Top with parmesan & fresh basil if desired
These are just a few of our favorite recipes that are great ways to use fresh tomatoes from the garden here in Bismarck. If you have any questions about growing your first tomato crop or want some other suggestions on how you can best preserve your harvest this year, stop by to chat with one of our expert team members at Plant Perfect!