Bumper Crop

12 Roma tomatoes or round red tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
Coarsely ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, sliced

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Slice and core tomatoes. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil; sprinkle with kosher salt, pepper and sliced garlic. Bake 30 to 60 minutes, until juices have evaporated. Store in a plastic zip-top bag in refrigerator or freezer. You can also slow roast tomatoes in a 250F oven 3 to 4 hours.

Per serving: 45 calories, 3g fat, 1g prot., 5g carbs., 2g fiber, 200mg sodium.

"Bumper Crop," Sept. 2009.

6 large fresh tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Coarsely ground black pepper

1. Chop tomatoes and place in a bowl. Add garlic, olive oil, basil, salt and pepper. Toss gently. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature 2 to 4 hours. Serves 6.
Recipe by Liz Shenk,"Bumper Crop," Sept. 2009

Per serving: 100 calories, 7g fat, 0mg chol., 2g prot., 8g carbs., 2g fiber, 90mg sodium.

16 medium to large ripe, but firm, heirloom tomatoes
1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
6 to 8 garlic cloves, thickly sliced
2 tablespoons white balsamic or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
Coarsely ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Cover baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cut an X in the bottom of each tomato and place on parchment with X side up.
3. Roast tomatoes 20 to 30 minutes, until skin begins to pull away at the X. Remove pan from oven and let tomatoes cool.
4. When cool enough to handle, core each tomato and peel skin away from meat of tomato using a sharp knife. Work over a large nonreactive bowl to catch juices.
5. Coarsely chop tomatoes in bowl using knife or scissors, or squish with your hands. Add basil, garlic, vinegar, salt and pepper. Mix well.
6. Label clean glass jars, freezer boxes or bags. Fill containers two-thirds full with sauce; seal or close and place in freezer up to 6 months. Makes about 12 cups, depending on size of tomatoes.
Recipe by Teresa Blackburn, "Bumper Crop," Sept. 2009.

Per (1-cup) serving: 45 calories, 0.5g fat, 0mg chol., 2g prot., 10g carbs., 3g fiber, 170mg sodium.

4 tomatoes
6 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Preheat oven to 400F. Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Combine ricotta cheese, chopped fresh spinach, garlic, thyme and grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Top each tomato half with 2 tablespoons ricotta mixture. Bake 10 to 15 minutes.

"Bumper Crop," Sept. 2009.