Quivira Vineyards & Winery is one of our favorite properties to work with – not only are the wines beautifully balanced and food-friendly but the Estate is home to a spectacular bio-dynamic garden. We work closely with Jim Barausky, the Farm Manager, to understand what…
As long as the night-time temperatures don’t dip too low and the autumn rains stay light, October is an excellent time for heirloom tomatoes. Local farmers still pick plenty of them throughout our Indian Summer and we stay busy in the kitchen jarring them whole…
My favorite thing about this time of the year is waking up first thing and heading outside to pick yet another crop of tomatoes. They appear to ripen miraculously overnight in our garden! I eat them like candy all day long but when our supply exceeds my snacking limits, it’s time to turn the oven on.
Think of oven roasted tomatoes as being half way between fresh and sun dried. We grow multiple varieties of cherry tomatoes, so I just toss them whole with some good extra virgin olive oil, fresh thyme and a handful of peeled whole garlic cloves. I sprinkle a bit of kosher salt over them also and then place them on a parchment lined baking sheet and cook in a 250 degree oven until they are collapsed and slightly charred – about 3-4 hours. If using larger heirloom tomatoes, you can cut them in half or into slices and follow the same process – increase your cooking time by 1-2 hours. I allow the tomatoes to cool completely before packing them into clean canning jars. I finish the process with a drizzle olive oil on top to cover them. They will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
What do we use them for?
We love cooking live lobsters. The succulent decadence of this iconic American shellfish is inspiring to work with. We are also surrounded by organic chicken ranches in our neighborhood, who supply us with unbelievably fresh pasture eggs. So what could be better than to put…
