The elusive perfect tomato. Even among varieties of heirloom tomatoes, not every bite is as worthy as it could be. As worthy as we want it. After all, we call them love apples for a reason. Expectations are high.

To the lucky few who find those delicious rarities where acid and sweetness are in perfect balance, texture is juicy but firm, flavor is strong but just mild enough, preservation is key. And with heirloom tomatoes only around for that short blip of summer (it always goes too fast, doesn’t it?) saying farewell can be painful.

While we can’t keep perfect summer heirloom tomato varieties fresh year-round, we can have the next best thing: dried tomatoes. These aren’t your store-bought-soaked-in-oil-and-salt variety. These are slow-dried at home, from your favorite batch of heirlooms.

Oven-dried Heirloom Tomatoes

Makes about one pint

Ingredients

7 -8 lbs firm ripe heirlooms
2 teaspoons sea salt
optional: one teaspoon (each or any) fresh dried herbs: basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, parsley

Directions

De-stem tomatoes and cut into quarters (for smaller tomatoes, simply cut in half, but generally, heirlooms are on the large side).

Lay the tomatoes cut side up on a non-stick cookie sheet (or oil a regular cookie sheet). But avoid an aluminum sheet as this will react with the acids in the tomato and compromise the flavor.

Mix the salt with any of the dried herbs and sprinkle the mixture atop the tomatoes.

With the oven door slightly opened to allow the moisture out, bake at 170°F (or 200° if that’s the lowest setting your oven allows) for approximately 3 hours.

Remove the tomatoes and gently flip to the other side. Put the tomatoes back in for another 3 hours with the door open. Repeat the process until dry. Note this can take up to 12 hours before the tomatoes are completely dried.

You want to avoid letting them become crisp or burned, so you need to watch them, especially in the last half of the drying process. Which means, start this early, perhaps on a slow weekend when you’re savoring the last of summer’s long, warm days.

Some tomatoes will dry faster than others; it’s okay to remove those.

You can store them in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.

Serve with lots of fresh olive oil on salads and sandwiches, in pasta and pizza dishes, or simply enjoy them by themselves.

Keep in touch with Jill on Twitter @jillettinger

Images: (top) Chiot’s run, kulinarno

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The post How to Dry Heirloom Tomatoes (And Savor Summer Just a Little Longer) appeared first on EcoSalon.

While I may strive to eat healthy, it isn’t always easy. I still have sudden cravings for Fritos or frozen pizza, as buried taste memories re-surge from my heedless junk food days. I still have my moments of devouring a bag of potato chips or a recent favorite, corn nuts, but overall, I try hard to avoid such snacks. Still, we all sometimes need a snack. Question is: what should we be snacking on?

Here are 12 real food alternatives to falling prey to the “junk food jones.” Some of these may seem high in fat, and they are, such as olives, nuts or cheese. However, the idea is quality not quantity. Enjoy the good things in life, but within reason, and you’ll find you are more than satisfied.

The trick is to keep real food snacks around, or bring them with you, so you’re not tempted with impulse buys near the register when you’re filling up at the gas station or buying office supplies. It’s all about retraining your palette and your habits.

1. Nuts: Almonds, Pistachios, Cashews

I’ve gotten in the habit of keeping a bag of roasted almonds in my bag at all times. Yum!

2. Fresh Fruit

I’ve been really enjoying oranges recently, especially tangerines. Other easy fresh fruit snacks are grapes, apples or pears.

3. Dried fruit

Great on the go.

4. Vegetables with hummus

An excellent source of fiber all around.

5. Rice cakes with natural peanut butter or almond butter

Or celery with peanut butter. Remember the old days of “ants-on-a-log?”

6. Cheese

Yes. Really. But good cheese! I’m still a believer that a few slices of cheese are better than eating a bag of potato chips. Try eating with rye crackers, thinly sliced, toasted pain au levain bread or simply on its own. My current favorites are aged gouda or goat gouda, gruyere, and manchego.

7. Olives

Greek olives are nice to have on hand, especially when you’re eating cheese. You may need to shop around a bit to find your favorite style and olives can vary in quality depending on where you buy them from.

8. Roasted vegetables

I’m a big fan of sweet potato fries. Mind you, when I say sweet potato fries, I don’t mean the ones at the pub down the street. Oven roast your own with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh thyme. Delicious! Asparagus, which is currently in season, is another great option. Eat the spears like fries. Or, make a roasted beet salad to have on hand with onions and feta cheese.

9. Straight up avocado

With salt. What’s not to love.

10. Natural granola or fruit bars

Try 18 Rabbits or Larabars.

11. The combination. Plain yogurt with granola, fruit and nuts

This is like dessert! Try experimenting with different fruit combinations or adding shredded coconut or a dusting of ground flax seed.

12. Dark chocolate

Instead of reaching for cookies, try this alternative. A few squares of dark chocolate are inimitably satisfying.

Images: inside_man, minianna.com, givingitatry, aggleton, prakhar, Sashertootie, JC handmade, mwhammer,  MGF Lady Disdain,  aSILVA, CaseyJ

The post The Junk Food Jones: Retraining Your Palate with 12 Real Food Alternatives appeared first on EcoSalon.

I recently read somewhere that chocolate chip cookies are the top cookies in America. Now, I used to be in the “It’s not a cookie unless it’s a chocolate chip cookie” camp, but I’ve come around.

Oatmeal cookies are so much healthier and they have such a nice combination of chewiness and crunchiness. You can substitute any type of dried fruit you like in the quantities given below. (If you’re using large pieces, chop first and then measure.) And if you just can’t help yourself, you could even throw in some chocolate chips.

Oatmeal Harvest Cookies

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 sticks butter (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
3/4 cup almonds, chopped
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup currents
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda and salt. Whisk to combine.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream the butter and both sugars together until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until just combined.

With a wooden spoon, stir the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture until just combined. Fold in the almonds, oats, raisins, currents and cranberries.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and firm on top.

Image: indigotimbre

The post Ecosalon Recipes: Oatmeal Harvest Cookies appeared first on EcoSalon.