Recipe File: Tomatoes, Live!

It only looks as though I've been off line. In reality, I've been recipe testing. And hold on to your pants: (I say that, and I do. A lot. My pants are having a tough time staying up anymore.)

I've perfected a recipe for Seattle-dried tomatoes. No, not sun-dried tomatoes. I told you, I live in Seattle. And the Seattle Times declared last week that our summer is over. (Our summer lasted nearly a full week this year.)

So buh-bye, Mr. Sun. And hello, Ms. Dehydrator. Here we go with better-than-sun-dried tomatoes, which will appear tomorrow in a recipe for something even more yummy. (Bated breath, readers!) These tomatoes are melt-in-your-mouth delicious, with unforgetable flavor.

Ingredients

• 6 ripe tomatoes (Get 'em on sale, because dehydrated, they all taste pretty much the same.)
• 6 cloves of garlic, chopped
• Handful of sweet basil, chopped
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• Sea salt to taste

Instructions
Slice tomatoes rather thick (nearly 1/4 inch.)
In mixing bowl, stir together chopped garlic with basil and cumin.
Toss in tomato slices and coat with garlic/basil mixture.
Place tomato slices onto dehydrator shelves.
Over sink, sprinkle tomato slices with sea salt. Unground sea salt works well, if you're a fan, because the liquid in the tomatos causes the salt to dissolve slightly.

Dehydrate at about 150 degrees for two hours*, then reduce temperature to 117 degrees until tomatoes are thoroughly dehydrated, eight to ten hours, depending on conditions.

Store in air-tight container or bag.

- - - -
Today's theme song? You didn't have to ask, did you? Theme song from Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!

*Questions about dehydrating? This article from Excaliber addresses the science (and art) of temperature settings, enzymes, and living food.