Canning and Preserving

Whew! I have been preserving up a storm! Last week, I picked up 1/2 bushel of tomatoes (about 25 pounds) and made salsa, sun-dried tomatoes, and slow-roasted tomatoes. I reported all about it on Bite of Minnesota for WCCO. My house smells like a mix of pizza, pasta sauce, and spicy peppers (not that I mind).

Considering I had tomatoes leftover, a tomato reward was quite appropriate.

I simply chopped up a couple of seeded tomatoes, a few leaves of basil, and drizzled a little roasted garlic olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top.


Usually, I broil or toast the bread, but this time, I poured a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet, heated it up and put in the bread slices. It was perfect - crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. I'll be using that technique in the future. Sure, there's a bit more fat content, but it is worth it.


Even after the bruschetta, I still have some tomatoes left. I think I should follow a reader's suggestion and make Mark Bittman's Tomato Jam.