Cooking with the cheapo – use your garden bounty

photo.JPG These are the portobella mushroom slices I picked up last night, sauteed in butter with only applewood smoked salt as seasoning. Put them in the refrigerator after they’ve cooled down and you’ll be ready with burger toppings, scrambled eggs…anything goes good with portabellos!

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We’re finally getting our tomatoes in quantity – – which is both a good thing and a bad thing! Here’s a way to use up those tomatoes that are both slightly overripe and hybrid plum tomatoes that lack true tomato taste.  The heirloom tomatoes are tops for flavor, but they won’t win any beauty contests, that’s for certain!  Slice them in quarters, roughly, with a yellow onion or two, some smoked salt and Herbes de Provence.  They look like the next shot.

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I melted butter and when pan was nice and hot, added some vegetable oil. Wait a minute or two for the oil to heat up and then dump in your tomatoes and onions (you can also add garlic, either whole or powder).

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Mid-way through the cooking process, you can see how much the liquid has already been reduced. Still aways to go, though.

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Here’s the finished product. Much more concentrated and aromatic, but not mushy paste. A fantastic way to cook eggs for a late, lazy brunch:  Add butter to a warm frying pan (okay, a sauté pan), then the tomato mix (obviously the amount depends on how many eggs you are using).  While the tomatoes are warming up, crack open your eggs into a bowl and whisk with milk or cream.  When the pan is hot enough and your mixture is nice and airy, pour into the pan and stand by with your spatula!  You are going to be constantly pulling the eggs from the sides and moving them into the middle.  When the entire mess is mosly cooked, turn off the heat and let sit for a minute or so.  You are looking for a soft scramble, not the dried out stuff.

And that’s all there is to it!  You’ve used lots of your going-soft and no-flavor tomatoes and there’s a nice supply in your refrigerator just waiting for some eggs, or pasta to meet and greet!