What to do with 60 lbs. of tomatoes

This post was initially titled: what to do with 40 lbs. of tomatoes....then I got another 20 lbs. To see all the pictures click here. (Disclaimer: these pictures are only of the original 40 lbs. the additional 20 are becoming sauce as we speak.)

Quart jars contain raw tomatoes for future soups, stews and sauces. The pint jars contain the sauce.


Some of the tomatoes were fire roasted for the production of yummy home made salsa:


Other tomatoes were dried, partially in the Sun Oven (which I've recently learned that Ed Begley Jr. also uses) with the door open and partially in the car on a hot and sunny day. (This was inspired by Ruth Richel on Diary of a Foodie on PBS.)


The tomatoes are then ground in a coffee grinder used for spice grinding purposes and a fine powder is produced. This powder can supposedly be stored on the shelf, but I have chosen to keep it in the freezer for additions to pastas and dishes in the future.


The moral of the story: 60 lbs. of tomatoes is really not that much.

At The Wheel (this time potters, not spinners)

This summer I've been taking a community ed. class in pottery. I've always loved pottery (another in a long list of things my mother influenced) and the community ed. center is only two blocks away from the house so it is very convenient. Hubs has been taking a wood working class there as well and has been creating up a storm (it's in his blood however, his great-great grandfather was a famous New York furniture maker!) So without further adieu, here are some of my first pieces:

Slab bowl, very organic in nature (large enough to hold about 8 good sized peaches!)






























Twice Dipped Bowl (first thrown piece on the wheel, had instructor help)















The Coco Vessel















Detail on the coco vessel