Tomatoes. What do you do when tomatoes grow more abundantly than weeds? Well, you make tomato paste of course.
I’ve already canned all the salsa and marinara that I’ll need for the next year, as well as diced tomatoes. I have enough for the many meals that I anticipate making to share with friends as well. These meals will happen on short notice and with little plans, but the pantry and freezer are ready for just such an occasion.
Homemade pizza night happens almost every Friday here. And for the rich flavor, I need tomato paste. It’s easy, but time consuming and messy. By mashing the tomatoes through my Kitchen Aide food mill, I can get just tomato juice, and all the skins and seeds are separated. I ended up with a lot of the solid part left over. While considering what to do with what others might consider waste, I thought “I can dehydrate that and use the powder later.” I learned it is great in chili and will try it in other meals.
So, while covered in tomato pulp… I heard Him telling me that this is part of abundance. Consider what you’ve harvested. Make the most out of it. Anticipate the unknown and how you can prepare for it. Take something unexpected or maybe even undesirable and slip it into the right place for added depth. Nothing is wasted in this harvest.
