Tomay-toh, To-MAH-to

What do you do with 50 pounds of tomatoes? EVERYTHING! Salsa, sauces, hot pack, raw pack, jams, jellies, chutneys... you name it, a tomato can do it!

Today, I had the awesome privilege of teaching a wonderful group of ladies the art of canning tomatoes. I decided that I would start off easy, and have them can something that is near and dear to all Italian Food loving individuals. Bruschetta. Some of you may not know what Bruschetta is, and for that, I apologize. Bruschetta is definitely something that should be tried at least once, and with enough Olive Oil to make you feel extremely guilty for eating it.
In our part of Italy, it is readily available as an appetizer in any restaurant and is a mainstay on dining room tables accross Naples.

Chopped tomatoes enveloped in a mixture of White Wine Vinegar, White Wine, Balsamic Vinegar, Basil, Oregano, and Garlic...spread on top of a toasted piece of rustic country bread. Oh yeah, it IS as good as it sounds. The best part about Bruschetta (pronounced Bru-SHKE-Tah) is that its good on just about anything! Lay it on top of chicken and you have a rustic chicken main dish. Or eat it as a salad...simply mix with leafy greens and enjoy! Seriously, with this stuff (especially if you LOVE tomatoes) you can't go wrong!

Today, I taught 8 lovely ladies the art of canning Bruschetta. We picked our tomatoes, washed them in a bucket of water, chopped them up, peeled and chopped garlic, and boiled our vinegar/wine mixture... all in the wonderful open air. Which, by the way, is my absolute favorite way to can!

(Kay and Alicia, washing and sorting their plum tomatoes...)









(The ladies, busy chopping away...)








(Celeste, mixing her Bruschetta marinade)



Once everyone was finished cutting, mixing, and stuffing their jars, we were all able to see that in 2 1/2 hours, 8 people were able to can a combined 16 Jars of Bruschetta....with tomatoes still left to can! I only hope that each person left my class today excited to continue the art of canning and enjoy the goodies they learned to make. Many thank you's to the ladies who came out today to take part in Can-It-Forward day! I had a blast teaching, and I hope you all had a great time as well!!

A week of Canning....

I started this last week off ready to conquer the world. I knew that I was going to spend it happily cutting, cooking, and generally making a mess of my kitchen. But boy, did I NOT know what fun adventures canning can create!

My landlord, Paolo, owns a beautiful Peach/Grape/Apricot/Crab Apple orchard two plots over from our home. The day he gave me a key and told me I had free reign over that treasure trove of goodies, I thought it was a joke. Seriously? You are giving me a key to grab as much fruit as I want?! Oh Paolo, you have no idea what you have given me!!
My three kids and I love going to pick peaches when they are at their ripest. Orange with streaks of deepest red, you almost feel wrong for leaving others behind on their branches. Oh, the things you can create in a jar with a bushel of peaches!

So....with the 20 kilos (approx 44 pounds) my kiddos and I had plucked from the trees, I began making a list in my head of all the things I would be making that day. Peach Jam, Spiced Peach Butter, Peach Ice Cream Topping, Canned Peaches in Syrup.... and on and on. Then in the middle of my Peach filled giddiness, I received a phone call from a friend who's own landlord had handed her a grocery bag FULL of Pears.... and she had no use for them. Would I be interested? Hmmmm.... Have you ever had Peach Pear Jam? It is like spreading a fresh fruit cocktail on your toast in the morning....

After picking up the pears, and heading home, I saw that our local market was open. Uh-oh. Markets in Italy are like a gastronomic vortex of yumminess. You quickly find that there is no getting out without buying something, and once you finally manage to weave yourself out from the throng of people and shouts of the vendors, you realize you just spent half your rent money on fruits, veggies, a painting (what?!), various home knick knacks you just had to have, and a loaf of bread. Well....I needed the fruit....

In all seriousness, Italy is awash in markets. There is a market everyday of the week in different cities, and it is the #1 way the locals buy their produce and essentials for the week. The major grocery stores and big name discount shops are wonderful for the things markets don't offer the modern-day, convenience needy society. But all the locals I know stick with the markets for their needs. And why not? Markets give local farmers the ability to sell their wares for a great profit, not to mention the once-a-week opportunity to see their neighbors and friends. Whenever I go to the market in my part of Casal Di Principe, I always go straight to my favorite vendor Franca. She serves with a smile, is always understanding and patient with my broken Italian, and always throws in freebies when I buy in bulk. This last week, I bought 5 kilos of red skinned plums to go with my pear windfall, and my peach pickings. I got a free bunch of basil and a half kilo of bananas from her! Score! Next week, she'll receive a nice jar of peach plum jam from me.


So back to canning....

Once I started chopping, pureeing, slicing, and cooking... four blissful days went by. Canning and stocking your pantry gives you a CAN-do attitude. Ha! (Ok, bad joke) but it does give you a huge sense of accomplishment. In 4 days I managed to can 45 jars of various fruity yuminess that will last my family and I (and various lucky gift receivers) through till next peach season. That is the wonderful thing about buying and canning in season. You can pick or buy double (or triple or quadruple...) what you would normally be able to when fruits and veggies are out of season. You eat some, then save the rest. After 2 straight weeks of Peaches on everything, mixed with everything, and eaten straight...? I think I'll be good till Christmas....


Would you like to purchase homemade canned goods? Go to https://www.facebook.com/CanningItaly to look through what is available right now!