Summer Stewed Tomatoes
It's July and tomatoes in Ohio are producing at full steam. As I watch folks walk through the farmers market, bags full of plump slicers destined for BLTs and bruschetta, I can't help but feel like they're sleeping on the sauce tomato.
This recipe is for meaty Romas and San Marzanos that are the quiet workhorses of summer. Less juice, more flesh. Built for simmering. Ready to be roasted, blitzed, canned, or tucked straight into the freezer for a taste of sunshine when January rolls around.
The result is hearty and versatile stewed tomatoes that are delicious over rice, with pasta, or as a pizza sauce. Spoon them over meats or beans. Eat them straight out of the pan. The possibilities are endless.
These also work great using canned tomatoes for the ones that end up preserved for the winter.
For this recipe, eggs are baked over the stewed tomatoes and topped with bacon and wilted kale. You can eat this for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It's a unique and delicious dish that highlights the versatility of tomatoes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, diced
- 3 teaspoons salt, divided
- 23 San Marzano or Roma tomatoes (80 oz), diced
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar or honey
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 1-2 cayenne peppers (optional)
- 1 large stem fresh basil (about 1/4 cup of leaves, packed)
- 1/2 cup cornmeal or breadcrumbs
Directions
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil. Add the onions and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cook the onions over medium heat for about 10 minutes until they have caramelized slightly. Add the tomatoes, remaining salt, garlic, sugar, vinegar, chilis (if using), and basil sprig. Cover and bring it up to a boil. Once it's boiling, bring heat down to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Uncover. Add the bread crumbs or cornmeal and cook an additional 5 minutes. The bread/cornmeal will cause the tomatoes to thicken up slightly. Serve warm over pasta, rice, or meat.
OR, do what I did and follow these next steps:
Shirred Eggs over Stewed Tomatoes with Kale and Bacon
Ingredients
- 1 batch of stewed tomatoes
- 6 eggs
- Sauteed/sauteed kale (however you like 'em)
- Cooked bacon
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. Spread your stewed tomatoes on the bottom of a 3 quart baking dish. Gently crack eggs on top of the stewed tomatoes, spaced evening across the tomatoes. Bake for 12 minutes to get runny eggs, 15 minutes for jammy eggs (we prefer jammy). Pull the tomatoes and eggs out of the oven. Salt and pepper the eggs. Top with warm sauteed kale and crumbled bacon. Serve with cooked rice.
Enjoy!