Topic: What to do with Roma Toms

[gazza1960]

We only had a few left after blight destroyed our seasons Tommy crops,and having never grown this variety
before I was asking how you use them...?

I was thinking slow cooked with Garlic in the oven maybe,but any suggestions would be good.


only Romas left..!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

Thanks

Gazza1960

[manicscousers]

We roast them with onion, garlic, peppers, courgettes, even did some mushrooms last year. good glug of olive oil and black pepper. Blitz with a stick blender, seive and freeze as pizza topping. The seived stuff makes wonderful tomato sauce with a bit of salt and sweetener added, also gets frozen to cook with dried , refreshed beans or pasta  :)

[gazza1960]

Cheers manicscousers,I luv the idea of the pizza topping.

Gazza

[Lishka]

I love them! They're so sweet and flavoursome and, well, so intensely tomato-y, they're one of my must-grows. Any surplus I freeze whole and bring out when I want to add them to a recipe.

Here's a seriously weird-sounding one for a pasta sauce - the pasta best used are shells, which hold the sauce. Telling you it's weird-sounding, even a bit yucky perhaps, but once I tasted it and tried it at home (still not believing it would work!) it's become a sort-of-quick-staple. And remarkably cheap, btw. Serious store-cupboard stuff + the addition of fresh or frozen Romas.

So, a tin of cheapo sardines in tomato. Garlic. Chilli for a kick if that's your thing. Little olive oil. Oregano. Splash red/white wine. Fresh or frozen Romas, no bother skinning them. Salt perhaps. I always add anchovies but that's a personal preference. And the pasta, natch.

So, simply saute the crushed/chopped garlic & chillies if using, in a spot of o.oil, and anchovies if using, add tin of cheapo sardines in tomato, break them up. Add chopped Romas, then spash red/white wine. Season for oregano. Salt if necessary. Bring to the boil then simmer and reduce while cooking the pasta.

And done! Really tasty, not a bit like tinned sardines for starters, the cheapest of the cheap - and the feeling of virtuosity that you've had all that essential Omega3!!!

Lish

[gazza1960]

That sounds a crackin little snack Lishka,cheers for sharing it.

Gazza

[northener]

MMmm that does sound nice. I was'nt going to bother with Roma again(deformed plants) until i tasted them roasted. I do them with peppers and shallots with a piece of salmon. Glug of olive oil salt and pepper wrapped in foil and oven for1/2 hour.

[chriscross1966]

ROma do hav etheir growth issues, but they are nice.... I prefer San Marzano cos I reckon I get more out of them and they're just as good....
Bombay Potatoes:
2 lbs spuds (King Edwards are good, as are ROoster, Setanta, Yetholm Gypsy, Fortyfold... somethign trad and a bit floury...). Cut them into decent sized chunks, as if for roasties...
2lbs tomatoes (Roma 1/2 lb cut in half rest diced down)
Packet of Schwartz bombay potato mix (yes I know it's copping out but I've done this from the ground up before and it takes forever to measure out the dozen or so spices,  the packet saves all that and you can keep it in the cupboard)
A big onion diced.
a teaspoon (heaped) of cumin seeds.
Tablespoon of ghee or some sort of cooking oil...
A cup of water or red wine
In a decent sized frying pan melt the ghee, when it is up to temperature throw in the cumin seeds and toss until you hear them hiss, then add onions. Once the onions have coloured a bit add the bombay potato mix and stir briskly for 30 seconds or so. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir in, put a lid on and let it cook for about ten minutes or so. Meanwhile arrange the potatoes and halved tomatoes  in a casserole dish and add the  water/wine.
When the onion/spices/tomato mix has cooked up a bit blend it to a puree and pour over the spuds etc in the casserole. put a lid on it and give it a couple of hours at around 130 degrees C/ gas mark about 3, check after an hour to make sure it's actually boiling in the casserole.

Serve with a curry with some protein in it and naans/rice. I find that the packet is plenty spicy enough for me, but if you like it hot you could add a chilli or two to the onions a few minutes before the spices go in