Allyson Gofton - Tomatoes – An Overload in the Garden - Life | Recipes - Coast FM

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Allyson Gofton - Tomatoes – An Overload in the Garden

Friday, January 06, 2012 1:52 PM

What do you do when you’ve an abundance of ripe tomatoes in the garden and their threatening to go to waste? Well there’s always an appreciative neighbour or two who will appreciate your donations but I do recommend that you take a little time in the kitchen to capture the flavours of these home-grown beauties for later months.

Make chutneys and sauces and relishes to enhance your cooking over the winter months. My mum’s tomato relish is legendary – well, in our family – try it, Ivy’s Tomato Relish. If you love the combination of peppers with tomatoes try Red Pepper and Tomato Relish. And if you’re a chutney nut, what about my sensational Tomato and Nectarine Chutney .

I always have Basic Tomato Sauce in my freezer; it keeps well and is a base for many recipes. Tomatoes freeze well free flow, too, or you can bottle them, bringing them out to make soups, stews – or more tomato sauce!

It makes sense both from the nutritional point of view and economically, to make the most of your tomatoes when they’re at their most plentiful and, hopefully, cheapest. A day or two in the kitchen will set your pantry up for the winter ahead.

If you don’t have the vege garden in the backyard there is no need to miss out. Why don’t you make a day of it and take a drive with the family to a market garden or farmers’ market? There’s nothing like supporting our local growers and I can’t think of a better way to enjoy the last of the summer sun, especially if a picnic is involved somewhere along the way.