Recipe of the Week:

The following recipe for Italian Cherry Tomato & Cheese Bake is from SurvivalBlog reader Connie S.  She writes:

“I have a spot in my garden where cherry tomatoes have volunteered for the last five years.  I give away plants to whoever needs one and then pull up the remaining plants leaving the two or three strongest-looking plants to grow for the season.  Leaving only a few plants and giving away cherry tomatoes to anyone who will take some, I still have extra cherry tomatoes.  I don’t like trying to use them in things like salsa, or sauces because of the processing time and small amount of flesh left. This last summer I felt led to find a way to use that extra produce for something other than goat treats or chicken food.  At the time, I was busy, so I just washed them and tossed them in quart freezer bags.  I figured things would slow down and I could find or create recipes that would work.

Here’s my favorite so far:
Ingredients:
Cherry tomatoes, block of feta cheese, herbs, salt and pepper to taste

Amounts of each depend on how much you need to make.  I used an eight ounce package of feta.  It served my husband and I for lunch, but I believe it would serve four-to-six as a side dish.

Directions:
Spray your baking dish with oil. Place the cheese in the center of a baking dish and then place the tomatoes around the cheese. I used two of my frozen quart bags.  Salt and pepper as desired.  Sprinkle herbs on top.  I used oregano and basil that I grew in the garden.  I also sprinkled garlic powder and thyme I purchased from the store. Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese melts and starts to brown and the tomatoes are soft.
We served it on toasted garlic bread.  I think it could be used as a topping on pasta by placing it over cooked noodles before baking, or as a type of “dip” with Melba toast.
Going forward, I’ll harvest all the cherry tomatoes I can.  I’m considering canning them whole in quart jars to make them shelf-stable. I also want to try homemade goat cheese the next time we’re milking.”

Do you have a well-tested recipe that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers? In this weekly recipe column, we place emphasis on recipes that use long-term storage foods, recipes for wild game, dutch oven recipes, slow cooker recipes, and any recipes that use home garden produce. If you have any favorite recipes, then please send them via e-mail. Thanks!