We Love Toms

It's the last day of August!  I can hardly believe it.  I didn't exactly blog every day, but I was much more active than usual, so I feel good about that.

During my stay-cation, I have had a lot of produce to confrontdeal with from the garden.  Todd has stewed Italian tom's multiple times--so we are ready for the winter.  I like to sundry the little guys.  Here's how I do it.

T's Sundried Toms

Step 1: Grow the sweetest, juiciest, best tasting cherry tomatoes called Sweet Baby Girls.  They have thin skins and explode with sweet flavor when you bite into them.  I do not like cherry toms (I detest Super 100's).  But these have a spell on my taste buds. 

 

We've grown millions of these this summer

Step 2: Pick, clean, and cut in half.  Place on a pan with an edge after spraying with non-stick spray.

A pan of yumminess right there

 Step 3: Rub & season.  I brush on EVOO, and then sprinkle with Italian seasonings and garlic salt. 

I can smell the flavor right through this monitor

Step 4:  Cook these babies!  You want to cook these as low as your oven will go.  Mine will actually go down to 100 degrees, but you want it between 125 and 150.  If yours will not go that low, you want to carefully watch them to make sure they don't burn.  I cook mine for 24 to 36 hours.  I open the door sporadically to let out the moisture (and wipe off the window where moisture condensates). 

 
Step 5:  Store these in the fridge, or freezer in an air tight container.  I've stored them covered in EVOO before, but the oil gets cloudy and thick.  If you don't mind that, the oil is vibrantly flavored with the taste of tomatoes.  Use in pasta or chicken dishes or on sandwiches.   

Little morsels of flavor explosions

Let me tell you that once you've added these to your favorite pasta or chicken dish, it's hard to live without them!  It's not the most fun I've ever had to make these, but I am always thankful once I sit down to eat them.  And they are way more fun to make than the bushels of apples I've been peeling...

 

I'll give you a hint as to what my next big project is.  If anyone needs some well-used, slightly dirty, navy-blue crushed velvet fabric, I will have yards and yards of it free for the taking.