Summer food

I love food anytime, but most especially, in the summer. All the fresh tastes that we here in Kansas can't get in the winter, specifically tomatoes. I have a little greenhouse and we've successfully grown tomatoes in the winter, but they still don't taste like they do fresh out of the garden. Earlier this year, I came across this blog, and it has become one of my favorites. Specifically her post on Estratto. I have never been a big fan of tomato paste, too tart or something for my taste, but OMG!!! This stuff is fantastic. I hope to never buy paste again!  The biggest problem with it is the tomatoes cook down so much, 14+ pounds of tomatoes (before coring and peeling), made up 4 half pint jars!! But I could eat this right out of the jar, it's so good. If you find yourself with a ton of tomatoes and are juiced, sauced, salsa'd out, give this a try, you won't be sorry. Just send me a jar when you do for a little thanks.

My mother was at my house helping work up some more tomatoes and we decided on a little bread and wine before dinner......

The first bottle....note the awesome color of the estratto.

She really isn't drinking from both glasses! One is mine. I think.  We had opened a second bottle and compared how the paste tasted with each, really, we did.

See. This is the sauce, we really were working, not drinking.

basil, thyme and oregano for the sauce