HOW TO DRY TOMATOES
Depending on the size of your tomatoes, cut into 1/2's, 1/4's or 1/8's, or alternatively cut into 5mm slices. Make sure you only use firm, ripe tomatoes and use vine-ripened if possible as they are rich & red in colour and are more flavourful than commercially ripened.
Not all tomatoes can be dried successfully. Tomatoes low in acid (such as some varieties of Roma) may develop black spots during the drying process. These spots do not represent spoilage, but do result in a slight change of flavour and are certainly not as appetizing as the fully red, robust dried tomato.
After slicing your tomatoes, place onto Mesh Sheets in your Ezidri dehydrator and dehydrate at 55 deg C (Snackmaker - Medium). For semi-dried tomatoes, dehydrate for about 4-6 hours, so that they still have some moisture in them. For fully-dried tomatoes, dehydrate for 10-12 hours until crisp, with no visible signs of moisture.
For something different, sprinkle them with ground or granulated dehydrated garlic & fresh basil before drying - they're delicious this way!
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DRIED TOMATO FLAN
Ingredients
Ready-rolled short pastry to line a 20cm (8in) pie dish
20 slices dried tomatoes
3 Tbsp dehydrated spring onions
1/2 tsp dehydrated garlic
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tsp dried basil
2 Tbsp grated Cheddar cheese
Method
Line a lightly greased 20cm (8in) pie dish with short pastry, prick with a fork & half bake in a hot oven at 220 deg C for 10 minutes.
Spread sliced, dried tomatoes in the bottom of the pie dish. Sprinkle with spring onions & dried garlic. Beat eggs with milk, mustard, salt, pepper & basil and pour over tomatoes.
Bake in a moderate oven at 180 deg C for 20 minutes or until nearly set. Sprinkle the top of flan with grated cheese, bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve hot or cold with vegetables or salad and enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of Drying Food, by Ricky M Gribling.
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LAMB STEW
Ingredients
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
700g lamb stew meat, cut into cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups rehydrated tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp fennel seeds, optional
1 tsp hot pepper sauce, or to taste
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup canned Chickpeas
1 1/2 cups water
2 carrots
1 zucchini
6-8 small new potatoes
Salt & pepper, to taste
Steamed couscous or rice
Method
Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat & add lamb and onion. Cook, stirring for about 15 minutes.
Dice tomatoes & add to meat mixture with ginger, garlic, fennel seeds, hot pepper sauce, turmeric, chickpeas & water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low & simmer for 1 hour.
Cut carrots & zucchini into large chunks. Leave potatoes whole, or cut into small pieces. Add vegetables to stew, & simmer for about 20 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Add salt & pepper to taste.
Serve over steamed couscous & enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of The Dehydrator Cookbook, by Joanna White.
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MARINATED SEMI-DRIED TOMATOES
Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup semi-dried tomatoes
Dried sprigs of parsley, oregano & rosemary
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small dried red chilli
1 cup virgin olive oil
Method
Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Add garlic, rosemary & chilli. Cook until garlic turns crisp & golden to flavour the oil. Remove from heat & cool to room temperature.
Pack tomatoes & dried herbs into a clean 1/2 litre jar & strain in flavoured oil, discarding the cooked particles. Add olive oil to cover tomatoes. For something different, try adding cubed Feta cheese.
Close jar & store refrigerated for up to 6 months.
Serve on a platter with other tasty treats & enjoy!
Note: if the tomatoes are too dry, they will not absorb the oil.
This recipe is just one of the great ideas you can find in the Snackmaker & Ultra FD1000 Recipe/Instruction Book.
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RAW TOMATO CRACKERS
This recipe for tomato crackers couldn't be simpler!
To fill an Ezidri Solid Sheet you will need between 4 & 7 tomatoes, depending on their size. This particular recipe uses normal salad tomatoes, but you can use other sorts also.
Simply slice the tomatoes into quarters & place them in your blender. Blend to a fine pulp, with no seeds or other bits showing. Or, if you prefer a more 'rustic' looking cracker, blend for less time.
At this point you can add other flavourings like Garlic Powder, Sesame Seeds, Soy Sauce, Balsamic Vinegar etc to give them a different taste.
Then pour your mixture onto a pre-oiled Solid Sheet in your Ezidri dehydrator, making sure you cover the sheet evenly. This point is another opportunity for adding a different flavour - if you like you can sprinkle herbs or seeds over the mixture.
Dehydrate at 55 deg C (Snackmaker - Medium) for 10-14 hours, until quite crisp. Allow to cool, then remove from the dehydrator & break into crackers.
Enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of www.ezidri.co.uk
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SEMI-DRIED TOMATOES - ANN'S STYLE
Anne Morton, our local SA Ezidri distributor & demonstrator has made a name for herself with this simple yet delicious recipe for semi-dried tomatoes!
Ingredients
Tomatoes
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
2 cloves garlic
Oregano
Method
Slice your tomatoes into quarters or eights depending on their size. Place onto Mesh Sheets in your Ezidri dehydrator & dry for 5-6 hours at 55 deg C (Snackmaker - Medium). Avoid over drying, as the oil will not be absorbed by the tomatoes.
Mix together a good extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper, the garlic & oregano. Layer tomatoes & oil mixture in an airtight bottle or jar.
If keeping for a long time (often difficult due to how delicious they are!!) do not use fresh garlic, but follow the above recipe for Marinated Semi-Dried Tomatoes from the Ezidri Recipe/Instruction Book.
To keep, seal your airtight container & refrigerate.
Enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of Anne & Jeff Morton, SA Ezidri Distributor.
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SEMI-DRIED TOMATO & BOWTIE PASTA SALAD
Ingredients
100g Semi-dried tomatoes (Use Recipe above)
500g small Bowtie Pasta
2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 packet of Pine Nuts (roastes under griller or in oven)
1 bag of Baby Rocket or
1 Bunch of Broccoli Racbe (Chopped)
4 Spring Onions or Shallots, chopped
5g Dried Oregano
1/2 Italian Dressing
Method
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the pack.
While the pasta is cooking, place the Baby Rocket or Broccoli Rabe in a large bowl. Add Spring Onions, Tomatoes, Pine nuts & oregano.
When the pasta is cooked, rinse well under cold water & Drain. Stir the olive oil through the pasta.
Add the pasta to the large bowl & combine the salad. Cover & refrigerate until ready to serve.
Just before serving, shake the dressing well & add to the pasta salad.
Enjoy!
Recipe courtesy of Anne & Jeff Morton, SA Ezidri Distributor.
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