Tomatoes. They scream late summer to me. My guess is if you’ve seen a farmer’s market or stand lately, some of the bins are starting to overflow with tomatoes. While I profess myself to be a fairly healthful eater, raw tomatoes are something I have never been wild about. The one exception being caprese salad. Tomatoes are much easier when eaten with a pile of cheese, basil, and balsamic vinegar, but I digress. Tomato sauce and salsa, though, are two things we always have on rotation. So I have adapted my favorite recipe for roasted tomatoes that keep in the freezer.
The base for the recipe is the same, regardless of if your end use is for pasta/pizza sauce or for salsa. Basically, take a bunch of tomatoes and cut them into roughly one inch chunks. Spread them out on baking sheets. Liberally season with salt and pepper then douse them (and I mean douse them) with olive oil. Roast them in the oven at 300 degrees for 90 minutes to two hours (the time will depend a bit on what type of tomatoes you use and how sweet you like your sauces – sweeter = longer roasting time). Let them cool down, then transfer the tomatoes pieces and all the juices into a zip top freezer bag. Squeeze out the extra air and freeze them for up to 6 months.
To make pasta/pizza sauce… Take the tomatoes out of the freezer and thaw in the fridge. Place the thawed tomatoes into a food processor or blender. Add a 14.5 ounce can of canned, crushed tomatoes, parsley, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, and Parmesan cheese to taste. Blend to desired consistency. If you are using for pasta, heat the sauce in a saucepan and serve over your noodles. If you are using for pizza, spread on your crust and top and bake as usual.
To make salsa… Take the tomatoes out of the freezer and thaw in the fridge. Place the thawed tomatoes into a food processor or blender. Add diced onion, diced jalapeno (or any spicy pepper you like), cilantro, and cumin to taste. Blend to desired consistency. If you like, you can add corn or black beans after blending. Serve with tortilla chips and veggies.
Whether you are blessed with a green thumb and your garden is overflowing or you just want to take advantage of the nearest farm stand, roast and freeze those tomatoes to enjoy later!
