What do I do with roma tomatoes?

[Renthead Mommy]

I have a lot of tomatoes on the vine right now.  Both regular sandwich ones and romas.  In teh next few days I'll have about 12-15 romas.  What should I do with them? 

 

FYI  - I don't normally make sauce, it normally comes from a jar, but I would be willing to try.  I also have a water bath canner, as well as a second freezer.  Also there are only three of us.

 

So suggestions? 

 

 

[maize]

I like to cut them up, fry them with olive oil, and eat them over pasta. Yummy!

[OrganicAnn]

We freeze our tomato sauce.   It is generally easier.   You can also make 'fresh' pasta sauce to use, if you don't want to can or freeze.

[TammyinTN]

I roast ours in the oven on 400* for an hour with salt and olive oil.  I also add other veggies..carrots, potatoes, pepper and onions all diced up.  This makes a delicious side for just about any dinner. 

[Ravin]

We mostly use them in salad. But with that many, I'd probably try my hand at homemade salsa or Pico de Gallo.

[soufflegirl]

They're really good on sliced fresh mozzarella. I usually put a little basil and balsamic vinegar and/or olive oil on them. Depending on how salty the mozzarella is, you can add sea salt, too.

[LostSurprise]

Bruschetta! Toast good white bread, cut some garlic, chop tomatoes, add salt and fresh basil. Eat on the toast.  Yum!

[Parrothead]

They make good sauce

[retiredHSmom]

I use them in any recipe that calls for tomatoes.  I eat them on sandwiches.  I eat them with fresh mozzarella.

[Rose in BC]

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/double-tomato-bruschetta/

 

One of our favourite recipes. Always a hit wherever I take it.

[Caroline]

Chop 2 tomatoes and mix with 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, a pinch of white pepper, a pinch of chili powder. Serve over spaghetti and top with blue cheese and pine nuts.

[zoobie]

Broiled (stuffed with parm and breadcrumbs and herbs)

 

Thinly sliced and roasted--eat, purée for tomato soup

 

Slice in half, scoop out seeds, stuff with chicken or tuna salad

 

I cannot grow tomatoes and am SO SAD. I love fresh tomatoes!

[Rosie_0801]

I cannot grow tomatoes and am SO SAD. I love fresh tomatoes!

 

How dreadful! Why not? !!

[Audrey]

Romas are my favourite tomato. They're meatier and less seedy than other types.  They're better for canning because they hold up better than beefsteak types do. They make the best salsa fresca, the best pan tomato sauce, the best tomato mozzarella basil salad. I like them better in sandwiches even. 

[Susan in TN]

Lots of BLTs and freeze them whole to add to stews and casseroles later.

[Jackie]

Roma's are my favorite for a one made pico de gallo style salsa. I make it almost every week in the summer. For every 4 Romas, add a medium onion, a bunch of cilantro, 1-3 hot peppers, a teaspoon or so of chopped garlic, a teaspoon or so of salt, and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Chop the tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and hot pepper finely. Stir all ingredients together. Great on chips or with grilled chicken.

[Ali in OR]

Romas are all we grow. In years where I have free time (not the last few), I'll can a bumper crop. Just use them the same way you use canned diced tomatoes. I use the recipe in the Ball Blue Book.

 

In recent years (not so much time), we just eat them as they come ripe. Pico de gallo is great (my recipe: 3-4 diced romas, 1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, a little bit of finely chopped sweet onion (1-2 Tbs?), and juice from half a lime or so. We use it in taco salads, chip dip, etc.

 

Pizza margherita will use a few. You can grill one side of the dough, flip, top with olive oil, mozzarella, sliced romas, basil, and a little garlic. Hopefully cheese is melted by the time second side of dough is done. Yum!

 

Here's a fresh tomato pasta recipe I only make in Sept when we have a lot of tomatoes. They have to be good in-season tomatoes, so I never make it with grocery store tomatoes:

 

In a large bowl, combine:

6-8 ripe tomatoes, seeded, coarsely chopped (recipe says peel them but I often skip that step. Note lack of time mentioned above)

8 oz grated mozzarella

1/4 c. minced fresh basil

1/4 c. olive oil

2 garlic cloves (I use 3. I have a 3-clove-minimum rule for garlic in recipes!)

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

 

Let this sit for a few hours, permeating your house with a wonderful aroma. Then cook up a pound of angel hair pasta, drain, and add to the bowl with the sauce. Toss until the cheese is melted and serve immediately.

[Shamzanne]

I love using romas in a roasted tomato sauce. I guarantee you won't find its equal in a jar! Put a generous glug of olive oil (2t?) in a baking dish and swish it around to cover the bottom. Halve your tomatoes and place them cut side down in the pan. Chop an onion into eighths and sprinkle it around, add some garlic cloves. Sometimes I add a zucchini cut into chunks or a bell pepper cut up. I like to add fresh basil if I have it. Definitely add a generous teaspoon or so of dried oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Roast in a 375 oven for about an hour until everything looks nice and charred but not burnt. Cool slightly, and then puree with either an immersion blender or transfer it to a blender. I freeze different size jars of this for use all year. I used to slip the tomato skins off before blending but lately I've just been whirring them right in. I use it on pasta, pizza, polenta, eggplant parmesan, you name it!

[Renthead Mommy]

I love using romas in a roasted tomato sauce. I guarantee you won't find its equal in a jar! Put a generous glug of olive oil (2t?) in a baking dish and swish it around to cover the bottom. Halve your tomatoes and place them cut side down in the pan. Chop an onion into eighths and sprinkle it around, add some garlic cloves. Sometimes I add a zucchini cut into chunks or a bell pepper cut up. I like to add fresh basil if I have it. Definitely add a generous teaspoon or so of dried oregano and salt and pepper to taste. Roast in a 375 oven for about an hour until everything looks nice and charred but not burnt. Cool slightly, and then puree with either an immersion blender or transfer it to a blender. I freeze different size jars of this for use all year. I used to slip the tomato skins off before blending but lately I've just been whirring them right in. I use it on pasta, pizza, polenta, eggplant parmesan, you name it!

 

 

This type of thing is basically what I was thinking.  The roasted part, and then do something with them.  I am going to try and can some also.  

 

I have so many regular sandwich types coming in, I want to eat those fresh/raw, that is why I was looking to do something with the Romas.  I knew they were a sturdier tomato that holds up to canning, freezing better so I figured I'd save those for later! 

[katilac]

Slice them, salt them, eat them! 15 Romas is nothing; I could eat them all by myself, no help needed.

 

It's not worth making a sauce with just them, imo, but they will make your canned sauce much yummier. I would just chop 'em up and toss 'em in.

[Callie]

Mama's Minutia Blog look for her recipes for:

 

Tomato Bread Pudding

Pasta w/ Roasted Tomatoes & Summer Squash (we eat this a lot)

Roasted Tomato Sauce

Roasted Tomatoes 

 

Pretty much all of her recipes are keepers.

 

[FaithManor]

Romas are my favourite tomato. They're meatier and less seedy than other types.  They're better for canning because they hold up better than beefsteak types do. They make the best salsa fresca, the best pan tomato sauce, the best tomato mozzarella basil salad. I like them better in sandwiches even. 

Ding Ding!

 

I have my order into the Amish farmer for his first two bushels of romas. I'll make all of our pasta sauce and salsa for the winter/spring with them.