Honor System Dried Tomatoes

I was busy yesterday morning, sending off care packages all 'round the world, and ended up missing the Farmer's Market. Lo! I was heading across town after hitting the post office, and spotted this sign, and a table full of tomatoes.



I turned the car around, and went back to find the kind of prices I've been waiting for all summer:



And sweeter yet, this sign:


"Honor system" produce wagons placed here and there around Central Illinois always make my heart feel a little bit lighter. I'd wager that these folks probably end up, in the long run, with a bit of extra cash in their box; I know it made me feel good to "round up" on the total, just because they trusted me.

I've lately been slow-roasting and freezing tomatoes, putting them away for winter. It's soooo easy:

1. Cut them in half.
2. Toss them with a little olive oil, basil, oregano, and sea salt.
3. Place them cut-side down on a baking sheet

4. Roast for 9 hours at 200 degrees.

When they look like this, pull them out. Eat them now, or freeze them, and use them later in sauces, on pizzas, in pasta.

I decided to take it a little further, and dry the batch I made yesterday. For the last 3 hours of cooking, I pulled them to a drying rack, and placed them back in the oven with the door slightly ajar.

When the tomatoes were leathery, I threw a clove of garlic into a sterilized jar, layered the tomatoes with a bit of rosemary, and topped off the jar with olive oil.




These turned out so great that I ran back out this morning to pick up more tomatoes, AND I broke down and bought a dehydrator. I've got 5 racks drying right now, and Clint and I are dreaming of next year's garden.

And perhaps, some day, our own Honor System wagon, at the edge of the driveway.