Tomatoes All Year Long

Simmering pots, tomato-scented steam, open windows, and Indian summer sunlight. That's the scene in our kitchen this time of year as the season's tomato harvest winds down.


I prefer to freeze rather than can tomato sauce. But whichever method you choose, it's worth every ounce of effort when January rolls around and you get to enjoy that beautiful, fruity, robust tomato goodness with your favorite pasta or winter stew. If you make enough sauce (and ration accordingly), you may find your stockpile takes you right on through to next year's tomato season.

For the past twenty years or so, I've followed this simple Italian recipe for Pommarola. Every year, I'm tempted to try another method but usually fall back on this tried and true method. This year, the tomatoes were so beautiful, I decided to skip the addition of onion, carrot and parsley in favor of pure tomato flavor. I cooked it down until it was almost paste-like and the taste was unreal -- an explosion of tomato flavor.

With all this beautiful fall weather, there's still time to glean a few more baskets of tomatoes for sauce. If you don't grow tomatoes, or you've exhausted your own patch, you may still find a local farmer willing to make a good deal on bulk quantities. The tomatoes need not be perfect. So, buy up the blemished and the slightly bruised and throw them in a pot. You'll be glad you did.