Tomato Flakes

When I have extra tomatoes, I put them whole into the food processor, along with fresh herbs-- basil, thyme, oregano-- and sometimes peppers. I process until they become liquid, then pour the contents in fairly thin layers onto the fruit-leather[2] sheets that come with my dehydrator. When the tomato sheets are thoroughly dry, I crumble them into[3] flakes and put them in a jar. These flakes are great in winter when you don't want to buy tasteless, grocery store tomatoes. You can add the flakes to sandwiches, soups, and salads. The flavor is fantastic, and the flakes are instantly[4] available. They also make a great gift because of their lovely color.

Tomato ristra

Around the end of September, I break off[5] clusters of green plum tomatoes that won't have time to ripen before frost. I hold a piece of strong twine like a noose and drape the tomato clusters over the twine, starting at the bottom of the noose and working up[6] the sides. Then I tie the ends of the twine together and hang the tomatoes in the kitchen. The air circulation allows the tomatoes to ripen slowly, without rotting, so they are ready to eat by Christmas. We used to ripen tomatoes this way in Italy, where I was born. These tomatoes don't taste as good as those ripened on the vine[7], but they're better than you might think.