case of grape tomatoes, going fast

[Kali]

a friend left most of a case of those yummy little grape tomatoes here on Friday night. Just now getting to work sorting - quite a few are going to the chickens, but I have a half gallon to eat and about a gallon to cook down so far, about half way through the sort.

My question is what is the best thing to do with the cooked ones? Just make a big pan of sauce? I figured to simmer with very little water and then mash them up and strain somehow. I'm not peeling 100s of tiny tomatoes!

Is there anything else that is easy? They won't freeze will they?

[Tesha]

1. Roast them?

SERVES 4

It just doesn’t get any better than this. Make this recipe when locally grown tomatoes are available. However, since store-bought cherry and grape tomatoes are usually tasty all year long, I would make it any time for a little taste of summer goodness. This side-dish is elegant, quick, easy, healthy and absolutely delicious.

INGREDIENTS

2 pints whole grape or cherry tomatoes, rinsed and patted dry
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic, about 1 large clove
Olive oil, about 1 tablespoon
2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil
Preheat oven to 425° F. For easy cleanup, line a large shallow-sided baking sheet pan with heavy duty foil and spray lightly with olive oil spray. (A shallow baking dish will work as well.) Place tomatoes in the pan. Season with the salt, pepper and garlic. Drizzle with the olive oil. Toss gently with your hands. Roast until the smallest tomatoes begin to pop, about 15 minutes, depending on size. Transfer to a bowl; add the basil and toss. Serve hot, warm or room temperature.

[Tesha]

2. Dry them?

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/oven-dried-tomatoes

Ingredients

Serves 4
24 cherry tomatoes
8 to 10 plum tomatoes, cut in half
8 to 10 yellow, orange, red, or green tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick or thicker slices
1 tablespoon sugar
Herbs, such as basil, oregano, or rosemary, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line a pan with parchment; for thinnest chips, use a Silpat baking mat. Arrange tomatoes, cut sides up, on pan, spaced 1/2 to 1 inch apart. Sprinkle with sugar and herbs; season with salt and pepper.
Transfer pan to oven; dry until juices have stopped running, edges are shriveled, and pieces have shrunken slightly; timing will vary depending on the variety, ripeness, and desired degree of dryness, 1 1/2 to 6 hours. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container, refrigerated, up to 3 days, or frozen, for up to 6 weeks.

[Kali]

6. I was thinking of drying them.

I don't have much experience with using them - does the peel become a problem? I have never had a real dried tomato (in oil or otherwise), although I dried some once for a camping trip - to make tortilla soup. I recall they were fine.

[Tesha]

3. preserved in olive oil?

Ingredients

Makes one half-quart jar
14 Oven-Dried Tomatoes
3 to 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 to 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Directions

Using a long spoon or wooden skewer, arrange two layers of tomato halves in bottom of a clean, dry, half-quart glass jar. Insert a few sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Make more layers, using spoon to pack tomatoes tightly, until the jar has been filled to within 1/2 inch from top. Add enough olive oil to completely cover tomatoes and the herbs. Seal tightly, and store, refrigerated, for up to 1 month.

[GoCubsGo]

4. Make some salsa or bruschetta topping.

All you need to do is dice them and use in your favorite recipe. It keeps for a while refrigerated, or can it in some ball jars, if you are so inclined.

I like to snack on grape tomatoes. Can't wait until they're back in season.

[Kali]

7. oh yes - all the fresh things are on the to do list

salsa tomorrow, salads and just eating out of hand since we got them, but some are starting to shrivel and have a few bruises - I figured they would be fine cooked down some how.

and the exploded runny rotten ones have gone to chickens/compost pile :puke:

[Arkansas Granny]

5. Many, many years ago, a friend of the family brought my mother a large box

of cherry tomatoes that he had purchased, thinking that they were plums. She made tomato preserves out of them (you can find several recipes online) and it was really good. I don't recall if she separated the skins from the pulp or not, but a food mill would probably work for that. I do remember that they had a beautiful color, a distinctive flavor and made a very tasty PBJ.

[Kali]

8. I've heard of this - and pie too

but my picky-eater syndrome says tomatoes need to be savory, not sweet. My Grandfather loved canned tomatoes with sugar on them, and salt on apples and peaches:crazy:

[GoCubsGo]

9. Probably too late for the grape tomatoes, but...

Here is a really good savory tomato pie recipe: http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/recipes/r-penzeystomatopie.html

It calls for bacon, but since I tend not to eat the stuff that often, I make it without. It's just fine. If one still wants the smoky flavor of bacon, without actually using bacon, I could see altering this recipe to incorporate chipolte chiles/chipotle powder. Skip the nutmeg and use Jack cheese or one of those "Mexican cheese blends."