The Tomato Cycle

My feelings on tomatoes go sort of like this....

we go outside and happily pick all these beautiful tomatoes and think what a great year it has been for the garden.  I bring them inside and give them a wash and set them here and there around the kitchen and living room (there's not enough room in the kitchen alone) and then they start to feel like clutter and work to be done....they're nagging me.

Most often I roast our tomatoes and freeze them, sometimes I can them.  I admit my patience for canning tomatoes runs low, this year I managed about 20 pints.  Thankfully I have a mother in law who  enjoys (tolerates?) canning tomatoes and she likes to share.  I slice them all up, Amish Paste, Big Rainbows, and Purple Prince and whatever else we planted this year.  The tomato jungle was so thick I can't read my planting signs.  They get tossed in the cookie sheets and baking dishes, they mingle with onion and garlic, basil, olive oil and sometimes some balsamic vinegar and I kinda curse all their work.

They roast for a bit, they smell so good and they come out of the oven all delicious and I'm thankful for all those tomatoes and all the work they bring.  Over the weekend we discovered they're delicious with hummus, and this soup recipe is what led to my love of roasted tomatoes.