Don Lupe and Martin picking tomatoes (Photographer: Larry--well someone has to do it!)


Larry checking a tray of "Smokes" (left) Ripe Organic Roma Tomatoes (right)

This year's Crop of Smoke-dried Tomatoes is ready, and available ONLY at the Farm Stand. The crop is not huge this year as many tomatoes were lost in the spring/summer floods. Thus the current year's crop is no longer available for mail order. Sorry! Next Year! 

A "Tip" sheet, is located below, on this page, with information on storage, marinating the tomates in olive oil, and suggestion for uses. Briefly, any recipe calling for "sun-dried" tomatoes is better with Larry's Smoke-dried Tomatoes, and any recipe using baon or ham is healthier and just as flavorable with these smoked tomatoes! Try them in scrambled eggs, beans, pastas, stews, soups, cheese spreads, cornbread, etc....

Note: For more detail on the smoking operation at the Milam County farm, click on News of the Farm, in the menu to the left, and read the entry "Smokin.'" A little history on how Larry came to create these smoky morsels and some of the work involved.

See below for Tips on Enjoying the Smoke-dried Tomatoes.

The following products are sold only in season at the Farm Stand: NOTE: Because of the floods, and the loss of our main tomato crop, the following products are not available this year. (No tomato juice.)

Smoke-dried Tomatoes (Marinated in Olive Oil in a Jar) 8 oz. $10.50
Smoke-dried Tomato Salad Dressing/Marinade 12 oz. $7.50
Tomato Tonic (A sippin' drink -- very energizing, and even good with, ahem,
vodka! 12 oz. $3.95

Tomato Tonic, at market

Larry and the Tomatoes:

Tomatoes are one of the most important crops at the farm. We put an emphasis on growing them because, Larry loves them so much, and, so do many of our farm stand customers.

During the tomato season, we harvest tons of tomatoes to sell fresh at the farm stand and also enough to process into incredible tomato products. From our fresh, ripe, tomatoes, Larry "puts up" hundreds of gallons of tomato juice to be used as a base for many items. We also freeze a lot of tomatoes to have them available at the farm stand, so customers can make rich soups and stews throughout the winter.

At our Milam County farm, we grow Roma tomatoes expressly for the purpose of smoke-drying. This is a procedure Larry developed in 1994, out of desperation to save a ripe tomato crop that had been compromised by a typical Texas rain/wind storm. Since it is so humid in Texas, sun-drying the fruit was not feasible. Instead, Larry built a smoke house, and wooden trays to hold the tomatoes, and maintained a steady fire, using the abundant post oak growing on the farm. The tomatoes do not cook; they simply dry with the aid of gently swirling smoke, over the course of three to five days. The result is a rich, deep red, dried tomato with an incredible smoky flavor.

Since 1994, a portion of every summer is dedicated to making juice and smoke-drying tomatoes. We sell the smoke-dried tomatoes, as they are, in a zip lock bag, or marinated in extra-virgin olive oil (the oil takes on the smoky tomato flavor) in a jar, and as a flavor component in many products.

All of our tomato concoctions are handmade in small batches in our commercial kitchen on the Milam County farm, using produce, which we grow organically, along with other high-quality ingredients. Since we are not a large-scale factory operation, and since these products depend on the season's harvest, we cannot guarantee that we will always have each one in stock.

Tips for Enjoying Smoke-dried Tomatoes

Larry's original Smoke-dried Tomatoes are intensely flavored bits of sunshine! Any recipe calling for "sun-dried" tomatoes will be extra special with Smoke-dried Tomatoes!

The tomatoes can be eaten out of hand, as a snack, or trail food, but be sure to save some to marinate in extra-virgin olive oil! The olive oil takes on the smoky tomato flavor and can be used to dress pasta, saute vegetables, and in dressings (wonderful with spinach!). Simply submerge the tomatoes in enough olive oil to cover, in a jar, and let it set for a few days so that the oil can absorb the smoky, tomatoey flavor. If you run out of this delicious oil before you run out of tomatoes, simply add more oil to the jar.

For long-term storage (2 weeks or more), refrigerate the oil/tomatoes, as no preservatives have been used; olive oil can go rancid. The product can also be frozen for up to one year. Once cold, the oil will congeal, but it will liquefy again at room temperature. Store dry-pack Smoke-dried Tomatoes in the refrigerator, tightly sealed in a jar, to prevent dehydration.

To use Smoke-dried Tomatoes (S-dT's): Re-hydrate in very hot water (or hot, but not smoking, olive oil) for a few minutes. Chop the tomatoes up into itty bitty pieces (or use a food processor) to conserve and distribute the flavors throughout a dish. Using the flavored oil will further extend the flavor.

Saute Vegetables: Simmer chopped onions/garlic in a tad of the S-dT oil until softened. Add other vegetables (eggplant, squash, green beans,etc.) chopped, and simmer until they are softened. Add bits of S-dT's, stir and simmer a few minutes more. Toss with hot pasta, rice, or spoon over spaghetti squash, or place on toast for an open-faced sandwich.

Greens: Saute almost any variety of greens (chard, spinach, mustard, collards, etc) in S-dT olive oil, with garlic and mushrooms. Sprinkle with bits of S-dT's and either crumbled feta or Parmesan cheese. Beans or Chile: Add two or three S-dT's to the pot!

Bacon Substitute: Quiche -- Add S-dT's to any quiche recipe, especially to replace ham or bacon. Scrambled Eggs -- gives vegetarians the bacon experience without the bacon! Carnivores will especially love, and indeed "wolf down" S-dT's and eggs!

S-dT Pesto: In a food processor, whiz the S-dT's with enough olive oil to make a puree. Add nuts and Parmesan or Romano cheese as desired. Basil, spinach, cilantro or sorrel leaves, in season, may be added.

Cheese Treats: Blend any soft cheese (chevre,cream) with minced pieces of S-dT and some of the oil. Or blend the cheese with the S-dT pesto. Stuff this mixture into deseeded jalape�os or spread on a cracker or piece of toast. Blend the mixture with hot pasta.

Cornbread, Biscuits, Breads: Add minced pieces and some S-dT oil. Yum!