Although we had rain last week and our Summer seems nearly over, in Northern California, it’s still possible to find delicious tomatoes such as these from Verdure Farm in Healdsburg, as well as in the local Farmer’s market (and in your backyard if you are lucky!).
If you’re in the North Bay/Sonoma County, take a scenic drive up to 2476 Westside Rd. (a few minutes south of Downtown Healdsburg). I like to take to some empty egg cartons and then fill them up with the tomatoes. They’re useful while traveling, seem to store well in the paper cartons and nicely protected from getting bruised. Verdure Farm also sells squash, melons, eggplants, and pears, depending on what’s ready to harvest.
One of my favorite things to do with the really ripe tomatoes is to cut them in half, through the “equator”, and grate them on a box grater, making a delicious fresh sauce. Or, if you’re not interested in canning or pressed for time when they’re getting too ripe, whole tomatoes also freeze quite well (I’ve heard some people suggest you cut out the stem but I don’t–it’s optional in my opinion). Place 1 or more tomatoes in a tight sealing container or zip top plastic bag. They’ll keep for a couple of months and work perfectly for soups, stews, and sauces. Now is the perfect time to stock up so you’ll have a better option over the tasteless ones in the supermarket.
Food Outside The Box 
Love the tomatoes in egg carton tip!
Hi Jaclyn, I can’t help myself from trying to recycle or repurpose just about everything, just like my mom. Egg cartons work great for delicate stone fruit too. Miss you and Stan!
http://www.ticketgenie.com/Broadway-Tickets.htm Thanks for that awesome posting. It saved MUCH time 🙂