The winner of the GNOWFGLINS 1 Month Membership is...
Heather Hurley
michiganmom@----------.com
Congratulations Heather! You will be getting an email with information from me shortly.
Now for rest of you... here's a sneak peak of what you will find in the dehydrating class. I am so looking forward to putting my Excalibur to serious work!
Dehydrated Tomatoes
- Organic paste tomatoes
Cut off stem end of tomato. Slice in 1/4-inch slices and lay out a dehydrator trays. Dry for about 12 to 24 hours at 105 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit. Beginning at about 4 hours, check every few hours to remove dried slices and/or turn over slices for more efficient drying. Larger/thicker slices will take longer, and thinner/smaller slices will take less time. Slices are dry when you press them with your fingers and no moisture leaks out. They are no longer soft and mushy, but dry, somewhat hard (though flexible) and even a little crisp. Store in air-tight containers. Vacuum-seal to store for a year or longer at room temperature.
To rehydrate into tomato sauce: soak in water for 10 to 15 minutes, then blend to desired consistency. Ratios: 1:1 makes a thick tomato sauce and 2:2 makes a watery tomato sauce.
Simple. Easy. Fun. I'm all for this!
So, will you be joining me on this dehydrating adventure? I really hope so!
If you are concern about the cost... you shouldn't. For the price of $8 a month, you will have access to 7 different classes (Cultured Dairy & Basic Cheese, Dehydrating, Fundamentals & Fundamentals 2, Lacto-Fermentation, Real Food Kids and Sourdough) . That's a sweet deal if you ask me. If you haven't read my previous post about the dehydrating class and the benefits of signing up... go do that!
Throughout the eCourse, I am planning to create a Dehydrating Journal... much like the journal I did when I was going through the Sourdough eCourse. I loved journaling my way through that eCourse!
Now, here's a hearty recipe to put all those dried tomatoes to good use. Enjoy and let me know if you are coming with me to class!
Tomato-Based Winter Stew
Use dried tomatoes as the basis for winter stews, and enjoy garden fresh flavor year round!
- 1 cup dried, sliced tomatoes
- 1-1/2 to 2 cups water
- 1 to 2 pounds grass-fed ground beef (or venison, goat, chicken, buffalo, etc.)
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 4 to 5 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and diced (peeled if you wish)
- cooked beans (optional)
- additional stock as needed
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
Put tomatoes and water in blender container. Set aside to soak for 10 to 15 minutes.
Brown meat in a soup pot with onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Add some fat if the meat is very lean. When vegetables are softened and meat is browned, add potatoes. Cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Add cooked beans, if using.
Run blender to make a sauce out of dried tomatoes and water. Add to soup pot. Add additional stock to desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with dried basil. Let stew simmer until potatoes are tender. Adjust seasonings to taste, and serve.
What things would you want to make with dried tomatoes? Have a great week and hope to see you in class!
and while it was baking... I decided to pour the rest into 2- 
because I was ready to call it a day (I was making these at 8:30 in the evening... I was still figuring out the how the whole sourdough schedule worked, ha!) and watch a movie with my hubby.
