Got more tomatoes than you know what to do with? Here are some delicious and practical zero waste tips to help you make the most of your surplus tomatoes:

1. Make Homemade Tomato Sauce - One of the easiest ways to use up a lot of tomatoes is to make a big batch of homemade tomato sauce. Simply chop up your tomatoes, sauté with onions and garlic, and simmer with herbs like basil and oregano. Once it's cooked down, blend it to your desired consistency. You can freeze the sauce in portions for easy pasta dinners or use it as a base for soups, stews, and casseroles.
   
   
2. Create Sun-Dried Tomatoes - Sun-dried tomatoes are a fantastic way to preserve tomatoes while intensifying their flavour. You can dry them in your oven or dehydrator.  Store in olive oil with garlic and herbs for a flavourful addition to salads, pasta, and sandwiches.
   
   
3. Make Tomato Jam - Tomato jam might sound unusual, but it’s a sweet, tangy spread that's perfect for cheese boards, sandwiches, or even as a topping for grilled meats. It’s a great way to enjoy your tomatoes in a completely new way!
   
   
4. Freeze Them Whole - If you're short on time, simply freezing whole tomatoes is an easy and effective way to preserve them. Wash the tomatoes, remove the stems, and place them in freezer bags. When you're ready to use them, just thaw and the skins will slip off easily. They’re perfect for tossing into soups, stews, or sauces.
   
   
5. Make a Fresh Salsa - Turn your surplus tomatoes into a fresh, homemade salsa. It’s great with tortilla chips, as a topping for grilled fish, or even on scrambled eggs. Fresh salsa can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.
   
   
6. Can Them - Canning is a tried-and-true method for preserving tomatoes for the long term. Whether you’re making whole peeled tomatoes, diced tomatoes, or a seasoned sauce, canning lets you enjoy your summer harvest throughout the year.
   
   
7. Tomato Soup - There’s nothing quite like a bowl of homemade tomato soup. Tomato soup freezes well, so you can store portions for those chilly days when you need a warm, comforting meal.
   
   
8. Harvest Tomato Seeds - Harvesting tomato seeds allows you to grow your own tomatoes year after year.

 
By finding creative ways to use up surplus tomatoes, you’re not only reducing food waste but also enjoying the bounty of tomatoes all year round. So, roll up your sleeves and get cooking!
 
Geraldine Fitzpatrick

Pickling cucumbers adds a tangy, zesty flavor that enhances a variety of dishes. It’s a great way to reduce waste and enjoy fresh cucumbers long after their harvest season.

Makes 1 quart (0.946Litres or 1.66 pints)

• 1-2 large cucumbers or 4-5 pickling cucumbers or 15-20 gherkins
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons fresh dill, snipped
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 4 tablespoons whey (if not available, use an additional 1 tablespoon salt)
• I cup filtered water

 
Wash cucumbers well and place them in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over cucumbers, adding more water if necessary to cover the cucumbers. The top of the liquid should be at least 1 inch below the top of the jar. Cover tightly and keep at room temperature for about 3 days before transferring to cold storage.
 
Variation: Pickled Cucumber Slices
Wash cucumbers well and slice at 1/4 inch intervals. Proceed with the recipe. Pickles will be ready for cold storage after about 2 days at room temperature.
 
Lacto-fermented cucumbers and cornichons [small cucumbers] are very refreshing and far less acid than pickles conserved in vinegar-one never grows tired of them. In classic cooking, these cornichons always go with meat courses and with sausages and preserved meats; a wise habit since this vegetable is able to dissolve precipitates of uric acid and thus prevents the formation of stones, often caused by meats and sausages, foods rich in uric acid. Claude AubertLes Aliments
Fermentés Traditionnels
 
Recipe thanks to the Nourishing Traditions 2nd Edition Cookbook by Sally Fallon p97
 

I recently spotted this new salmon paté on the shelf and just had to try it. As a big fan of both salmon and paté, this product did not disappoint. It's incredibly tasty and perfect for a quick snack. I can already see it being a hit at my next soirée with friends!

What makes it even better is knowing that by enjoying this paté, I'm supporting local food producers. I can't wait to pick up the lobster, tuna, and anchovy patés on my next visit to keep the taste adventure going. Thank you @shinestuna  Review by Gladys

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Having the opportunity to enjoy a few dine out options away from the stove and kitchen sink seems 
a treat at times. Holidays allow those moments and as a family we made a conscious effort to enjoy a few new places this year. We do enjoy eating out and over the years it has become easier to manage this feat as a parent now of teenagers. I was reminded of a visit to Dingle years ago and attempting to enjoy a trip to a notable fish restaurant with small children in tow. Short story? In this social setting of appreciation for the culinary work small children did not add to the ambience. We bailed out early. Teaching children to adapt to social settings is one of the tasks of parenthood. An unhappy screaming child is not conducive for a relaxing meal out for anyone. That said I have to draw attention to the dining etiquette that seems to be a common go to for parents now. At a recent hotel breakfast with many young families I was struck by how all set up individual screens for their small children and toddlers to watch while they ate or were spoon fed. No direct interaction. Mindlessly placing food in mouths with little engagement in the present. Peppa pig prattles on while you chew on sausages? This isn’t new behaviour but I must admit that the “normality” of it now is disturbing. Roll on a few years and parents may wonder why their children feel anxious in social settings!
 
Food is your gateway to society and an opportunity to learn how to be together and converse. Learn this skill as early as you can and practice it. #connect.
 
……I had to add to this story since I wrote it. Another family restaurant dining experience since and we noted a family of 2 adults with 6 (!) small children contentedly eating their meals with relish and without screens. I overheard the waitresses comment to each other about how unusual it was to see. It certainly made me breath a sigh of hope! 

Anne Maher

Rising interest in traditional and herbal remedies is something we have noted with our membership.
We often have those conversations swapping stories of remedies that we know or have heard of and are accessible to us. It is truly amazing to learn more about the healing properties of food and plants that are locally available. This is why this book appealed as a parent. A simple go to that is worth having in book form. Knowledge will never be a burden and you may never know when it will be useful! 

Anne Maher

The Olympics are over for another 4 years and like most huge events involve quite a bit of planning in order to cater for the masses that converge. I find it fascinating to follow how catering is carried out for these large gatherings. Feeding troops going to war, feeding astronauts in space there is such a science to it all. Policy initiatives such as the Dig for Victory during the second world war are seen as a positive legacy decision as they focussed on nourishment. Japanese war rations led to the development of flavour enhancers (msg) in our food making foods extra tasty. The food industry thrived on this development. Population health less so.

Big events now showcase the thinking de jour re food and the policy futures we face. Would there be lots of cricket burgers with tofu toppings? I was curious to see how it would fare out. Time will tell the full story but there are smatterings of information to suggest that the proposed menus did not meet the needs of the athletes and there was an underestimate of the demand for meat and eggs. Was it assumed that the athletes would go for the diet that is purported to save the planet and be mostly plant based with limited eggs and meat so their logistical planning ordered accordingly? Take this as a sign. The ideology and reality are not aligned. Elite performance needs elite food. Athletes are learning through practice what works for their performance. By all accounts the Irish contingent were a credit to the country and we can bask in the glory of the medal acquisition this year. I would love to find out what our athletes actually chose to consume while in Paris but I am fairly certain  they had good grounding in real food from Ireland first. 

Anne Maher

I first saw these butter beans in a busy market in Malta. I asked the man behind the table for the ingredients and the only word I could decipher was parsley. I knew them to be butter beans and the olive oil was quite visible. Parsley, fresh herbs, makes all the difference. Since then, I have been making something very similar.
 
The wonderful thing is that it is unbelievably easy and incredibly tasty; just a few ingredients and minimal cooking. The perfect dish to make when coming home tired from work.
 
When becoming vegan we need good protein or else we are hungry a little while after. The key is to have beans on your plate. Or lentils, tofu, tempeh or lots of mushrooms, I particularly like beans… all types of beans. If you have tins of beans in the house you can have a main dish made in a very short time, the time to soften an onion is all that it takes!
 
INGREDIENTS
For 2 people 

• One tin of butter beans
• One medium onion – thinly sliced
• A handful of fresh parsley – finely chopped
• A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
• A pinch of salt
• A grind of black pepper

 
METHOD 

1. Drain and rinse the beans.  Bring a small pot of water to the boil and drop in the beans for a minute, then drain and set aside.
2. Soften the olive in a few tbsp of olive oil on low heat.
3. Add the beans, the parsley and dive it a good stir.
4. Allow to heat together for a minute or two, the season with a little salt and a good grind of black pepper. You may even add another drop of olive oil.

 
A perfect made dish served along side new potatoes and a lovely green salad.
 
Jacques
 
Bon appétit !  
@HungrySoulVegan_  -  Changing the Culture