This is my own discover — and superb it is to.
You will need a pack (or two) of good tomatoes (on the vine), some fresh garlic and onion. Have some balsamic vinegar standing by. If you like chillies take one or two medium red chillies.
Roughly chop the onion and the garlic (you can leave the onion out completely) Halve the tomatoes and place them in a baking dish/tray/ceramic dish. Sprinkle over the garlic (and or onion). Add halved chillies if you wish. Sprinkle over a little olive oil and add some balsamic if you wish.
Roast in a medium-low oven until the tomatoes are cooked and beginning to char. The time taken depends on your oven but it often takes longer than you think. Watch carefully. Do not the garlic and onion burn! A gentler oven is best. If you are not sure turn down the heat and cook for longer.
When everything is cooked empty the ingredients into a liquidiser or food processor and blitz until you have a thickish soupy consistency. Alternatively, shove though a masher until you get something similar (the tomatoes will need to be thoroughly cooked though).
You now have a great winter sauce for pasta or grilled chicken. Add fresh herbs such as basil.
To dehydrate simply spread over a couple of dehydration trays. Make sure the paste is reasonably thinly spread.
Deydrate overnight and perhaps into the next day — tomato takes time.
A versatile Leather
You will end up with a tomato-type leather.
This is wonderfully versatile stuff.
You can rip bits off and add to a pan of pasta that is simmering away, to get a quick tomato sauce. Simply add more to get the right thickness. (You don’t have to add too much water to pasta that has been pre-dried).
Alternatively, I use this to add depth to other dried dishes. Often I’ve lost a bit of taste in the drying process. While the meal is rehydrating I’ll often add a few strips of this stuff to make it richer.
Alternatively this good mixed with fresh foods. In the Pyrenees this summer I wanted to avoid taking in dried meat produce. I took a lot of tomato leather with me and added it to local sausages, fresh cheese, chillies and so on when preparing a meal. Very tasty.
Finally, I use this as an emergency supply.
Let’s say I’m planning to walk for three days without resupply. It is sensible to cary food for four days just in case. By using tomato leather and couscous I can have a very lightweight emergency day’s rations.
Try it. You wont be disappointed.
The sauce is great for cold winter days (without dehydration) – it really is quite hearty.
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