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Tomatoes Galore? Perfect Excuse to Bless a Friend SEPTEMBER 16, 2025 / KELLI NAPOTNIK / 
This summer has been an interesting one for my small garden along the fence in my backyard. The tomatoes started strong, but haven't ripened until now. Finally, after what seems like months of tending to them and watching them grow, I have more than I can eat! Excited to finally have a harvest, I decided to come up with a fun way to use them. I'm sharing two delicious recipes inspired by sun-ripened tomatoes. I'm hoping you can share them with your loved ones or use any of the recipes to bless a friend or family member in need of a meal!
 If you have a bounty of tomatoes from the garden and don't know what to do with them, here is an easy way to store them. First, blanch them to soften the skin, and then soak them in cold water until the skin comes off easily. Second, slice them in half and squeeze out the seeds and watery pulp, leaving only the flesh. Third, cut the tomatoes into cubes and add them to a pan to simmer until the water gently boils off. (This will give you a thicker, chunkier "sauce." ) Once cooled, you can move them to quart-size freezer bags and store them in your freezer until ready to use. For more information on how to blanch, peel, and store tomatoes, click here! Use as you would for any recipe that calls for diced tomatoes.
 I enjoy making this spaghetti sauce because it's easy to double, allowing me to create a large batch for freezing and storing.
This recipe serves twelve people. It calls for one 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes. You could substitute roughly one of the quart-sized bags of reduced tomatoes from the process I shared above, or use store-bought cans.
Zucchini is another vegetable I had a bountiful supply of! A few weekends ago, we spent the weekend at the Chesapeake Bay, only to return home to find my zucchini had grown exponentially large! Not wanting to waste it, I decided to give a friend's post on Facebook about turning zucchini slices into personal pizzas a try! You could easily use the spaghetti sauce I shared above as the pizza sauce, or simply use sliced tomato and roast it on top of the zucchini.
 Click here for the full instructions on how to make your own Zucchini Pizza Bites! I love the addition of pepperoni or prosciutto! They make a delicious, gluten-free meal!
*Be sure to cut your slices to the size specified in the recipe and continue roasting them until they begin to crisp and brown. I made the mistake of pulling them out too soon, and the zucchini was a bit undercooked. They still tasted great, though!
 Do you have a bounty of tomatoes or zucchini from your end-of-summer garden? Even if you don't, making these recipes with store-bought vegetables is equally delicious! I hope I've inspired you to use the bounty of the garden to share a nourishing meal with a loved one!
Read other recent articles by Kelli Napotnik:
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Welcome! We're thrilled you stopped by. Our own joys and sorrows have taught us that a well-timed meal delivered by a friend is one of the best gifts imaginable. In this space, we share our favorite recipes to take to friends, meal-taking tips, and other ways to care for those who are dear to you. Helpful Posts
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