Monday, June 30, 2014

The last day of June

This last day of June usually finds me making some preparations for a season that doesn't start until November. Well I'm jumping ahead a bit in this post, so the preparation stuff will come later.

Tomatoes. Most of the tomatoes we have here now are store bought. The local native ones are about a week or so away from making it to the farm stands, and I can't wait. Store bought tomatoes are without flavor, they make terrible sandwiches, and to put them in a salad will insult the fine lettuce they sit with. There are a few things one can do with these non-native fellows that make them quite good. I start with Roma tomatoes, drop them into boiling water for a few minutes until the skins split. I them remove them and allow them to drain and cool. The skins are removed quite easily, then they are cut up into bite size pieces and set aside.

Next I take several, I mean lots of garlic and slice it as thin as possible then set it aside. Now I grab a couple Vidalia onions, which I slice and rough cut, also putting aside. One of the herbs I have growing on the deck is basil. Basil is one herb that is a perfect compliment to the tomato. So I'll grab some of the basil and rip the leaves in half and place along side the other ingredients.

In a large pan I'll place some Olive oil and start to heat the oil. I then add the garlic and onion. Cook these two for a few minutes until the onions soften, being careful not to burn the garlic. Then add the cut tomatoes, salt and crushed red pepper to your taste and the basil. Cook all of these together for a half hour. This will give you an incredible sauce. It will have a nice chunky consistency with super flavor.

I still have some deer from last seasons hunt in the freezer. And if I sort through it I can find a nice piece of tender venison that can be fried quickly and be so tender. I take the deer slice it into serving size pieces, drop it into a hot skillet. When almost done, being sure you can still see rare meat add some of the tomato sauce to the deer and allow to cook a minute or two. Serve immediately.


Sausage and red potatoes baked in the oven with the same basic tomato sauce. So flavorful.


And with out saying....meatballs. These were made with ground turkey, and they are awesome.










14 comments:

  1. Alan
    Well you have made me hungry before I even to get to lunch and dinner. Those Roma tomatoes are also good straight from the can where they have the peeling off. Thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bill Trussell,
      Thanks.
      Hey Bill those tomatoes make for a wonderful breakfast......red eggs.
      As a kid we had them several times a week.

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  2. We've got 7 celebrity plants and hoping to make lots of salsa.

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    Replies
    1. riverwalker,
      Thanks.
      Great. Salsa, especially hot is a delight.

      Delete
  3. Mmmmm good.....................
    "Nuff" said.

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  4. You're a man of many talents Alan. When's dinner?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Though the food is mouthwatering to loom at my compliments are for your header. That is a beautiful picture of the soft hackle on the pearsall's spool.

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    Replies
    1. Kiwi,
      Thanks.
      Simple, pretty, and effective. Soft hackles.

      Delete
  6. Homegrown tomatoes , sweet corn and green beans...three of my favorite things about summer!!

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    Replies
    1. HighPlainFlyFisher,
      Thanks.
      And mine also. They should all be hitting the stands locally very soon.

      Delete
  7. Those look to be some fantastic dishes! Food is another hobby of mine. My mother uses a recipe that is pretty much the same as yours, and she uses it for all sorts of dishes from sausage, chicken, and beef. It's really a versatile sauce that adds great flavor to your meal.

    Those pictures are making me hungry...Oh, look at that...it's lunch time!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Justin Carfagnini,
      Thanks.
      Very true Justin....that basic sauce will add flavor to most anything it graces.
      Way to go mom.

      Delete