Roasted heirloom tomato sauce

Start to finish: 4 hours

Makes about 4 cups

5 pounds heirloom tomatoes (a mix of Brandywine, Eva Purple Ball, Rose de Berne and Livingston’s Favorite is recommended)

12 cloves garlic

Leaves from 12 sprigs fresh thyme

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cups chopped Spanish onions

2 cups dry white wine

4 sprigs fresh basil, leaves only

Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Wash the tomatoes, cut out the tough stem ends, then cut the tomatoes in half. With a teaspoon, scoop out the seeds into a bowl and set aside. Place the halved tomatoes in a roasting pan or other baking dish that will hold them in a single layer, cut side up.

Chop 6 cloves of the garlic and scatter them evenly over the tomatoes. Sprinkle on the thyme leaves, then drizzle 1⁄2 cup of the oil on top. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the tomatoes are very soft.

Let the tomatoes cool to lukewarm. Pass them through a food mill, using the small holes, or rub them through a mesh strainer to remove the skins and any remaining seeds.

In a large stainless-steel or enamel pan over medium, warm the remaining 1⁄2 cup of oil and stir in the onions. Chop the remaining garlic and stir into the onions. Let the mixture sweat gently for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.

Add the wine, then raise the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half.

Add the strained tomato pulp. Place a sieve over the pan and pour the bowl of strained seeds into it so the juice runs into the tomato and onion mixture.

Stir in the basil and 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 20 to 25 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. When the sauce is thick, taste and season with salt and pepper. Remove and discard the basil leaves. Serve hot.

(Recipe from Kevin Schmitz, chef at the Marketplace Kitchen in Great Barrington, Mass.)

Fresh rainbow salsa

Start to finish: 30 minutes

Makes about 4 cups

1⁄2 cup diced red onion

1 teaspoon salt

1⁄2 pound (about 6) ripe tomatillos

2 to 21⁄2 pounds fresh tomatoes (a blend of sizes and colors)

1 medium-hot chili, such as serrano or jalapeno, or 1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 clove garlic, minced

In a small bowl, mix the onion and salt. Let stand for 20 minutes.

Peel and rinse the tomatillos. If desired, they can be roasted on a baking sheet for 15 minutes at 350 degrees, then cooled. This is especially good if the tomatillos are not fully ripe (they should be yellow-green or purplish when ripe).

Roughly chop the tomatillos. Dice all the larger tomatoes. Cut any small cherry or grape tomatoes in half and large ones into 4 to 8 pieces. Currant-sized tomatoes should be used whole.

In a medium bowl, combine all the tomatoes and tomatillos.

Dice the chili. If you do not want a hot salsa, carefully remove the seeds and the membranes from the pepper before dicing. Gently stir the chili, cilantro, garlic and salted onion into the tomatoes. Add additional salt to taste.

Let stand for 20 minutes before serving. The salsa is best the day it is made, but it will keep refrigerated for about a week.

(Recipe from Lawrence Davis-Hollander, author of “Tomato: A Fresh-from-the-Vine Cookbook”)

Bacon and tomato jam

Start to finish: 2 hours (15 minutes active)

Makes 1 pint (sixteen 2-tablespoon servings)

1⁄2 pound smoked bacon

2 pounds very ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 cup sugar

21⁄2 tablespoons cider vinegar

11⁄2 teaspoons salt

1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a large skillet over medium-high, cook the bacon until crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain excess fat, blotting it dry with additional towels as needed.

In a large saucepan, combine the tomatoes, onion, sugar, cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring often, then reduce heat to medium. Crumble the bacon into the tomato mixture.

Simmer until very thick, about 1 hour. Season with salt and pepper, as needed.

Let the jam cool, then ladle into jars. Can be refrigerated for 3 to 4 days, or frozen for up to 2 months. If freezing, divide the jam among several small jars. When ready to use, let a jar thaw overnight in the refrigerator.

Nutrition information per 2-tablespoon serving (values are rounded to the nearest whole number): 58 calories; 27 calories from fat; 3 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 7 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 0 g fiber; 266 mg sodium.