Things to do with tomatoes

If you grow your own tomatoes you may well wonder at some stage in the season what on earth you are going to do with them all if you have a bumper crop. Luckily tomatoes form the basis of many a tasty dish and best of all they have great health giving properties.
A tin of tomato soup is all very well if you are in a hurry but there is no comparison to a bowl of home made tomato soup. Everyone has their own favourite recipe but my personal favourite uses chopped bacon, onion, garlic and basil along with a pound of tomatoes and some chicken stock. Cook until everything is soft and whizz it in the blender for as long as it takes for you to get the consistency that you like. It freezes well so make a big batch and decant into individual portions.
Tomatoes are also excellent in pasta sauces whether you prefer a nice meaty spaghetti bolognaise or a simple tomato and basil or tomato, garlic and chilli sauce. I must admit to having a few Schwartz packets and Dolmio jars in my cupboard to help me out when I am short of time but making a pasta sauce from scratch is well worth the effort.  A tasty pasta sauce with a difference is asparagus, pancetta and tomato served with grated parmesan on the pasta of your choice.
Tomato chutneys are an excellent accompaniment to cold meats and also make good Christmas gifts for busy people who don’t have time to make their own.  There are all sorts of recipes for chutney available in cookery books and on the internet.
Your kids might prefer Heinz tomato ketchup but have you ever tried making your own tomato sauce? It is easy to make with the help of a blender and will keep in the fridge for up to three months. Vary your ingredients according to your own taste but my favourite recipe includes onion, garlic, chilli, root ginger, red wine vinegar and brown sugar.