Dry Farmed Tomatoes + Raw Tomato Sauce Recipe

I’m celebrating! Dry farmed tomatoes are at the peak of their season now and I can’t get enough of them. I eat them raw for snacks, slice them up for salads or bruschetta, or make heavenly tomato sauce out of them.

Dry farmed tomatoes do fantastically well here on the central coast of California, due to the large amounts of rain we get in the fall and winter…and the bone dry summers we have. (Although our rainfall has been way less than average with the current California drought.) Dry farmed tomatoes are basically placed in the ground in late spring, when the ground is still wet from the rains. The plants are never watered, and their roots have to dig down deep to find water. This creates a tomato that is more intense, sweet and flavorful than your average tomato…even tastier than an heirloom tomato if you can believe it! They are my favorite tomato EVER…and I shed tears of sadness when the last ones disappear from the farmer’s market in the fall.

Here’s my favorite recipe for raw dry farmed tomato sauce. If you don’t have dry farmed tomatoes in your area, pick out the best and juiciest organic heirloom tomatoes that you can find. This sauce has more of an Italian influence, with the addition of fresh basil. I have another variation of this sauce with fresh cilantro and Peruvian spices in my cookbook, Peruvegan. Both variations are delicious. You can serve this sauce on top of cooked pasta, on top of raw pasta (made with zucchini), or as a topping for crostini, bruschetta or lettuce wraps. It also freezes well, so make extra and freeze…so you can enjoy a taste of summer in the middle of winter!

Make sure to top with lots of Vegan Parmesan!

RAW DRY FARMED TOMATO SAUCE       

INGREDIENTS:
•18 to 20 small dry farmed tomatoes OR 4 large or 5 medium heirloom tomatoes
•Half a large bunch of fresh basil, stems removed
•2-3 tablespoons of sundried tomato paste
•2 tablespoons of olive oil
•1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar
•1 teaspoon of light agave nectar (optional)
•Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
Pulse all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Let stand for an hour or so, to thicken.

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