My favorite sun-dried tomatoes (hands-down!) come from Everything Under the Sun in Winters, California. They are intensely-flavored and packed with Vitamin A, minerals and fiber. I love to have them onhand to toss into soups and sauces. The folks at Everything Under the Sun dry their own tomatoes and I typically buy them from their booth at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.
The farm’s owner, William Crepps, recently gave me a great tip on how to keep a supply of these gems ready for snacking or for immediate use in recipes. He advised me to soak the tomatoes in a fruity white wine, such as a gewurztraminer or a riesling, for about 30 minutes. Then pour off the wine and add enough olive oil to just coat the tomatoes. Store the tomatoes in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. They are ready for snacking or for serving to your friends. In fact, I recently tossed a handful of these into an arugula pesto that I was making. I garnished the top with a sun-dried tomato half. The person who ate the garnish liked it so much that I brought out an entire dish of tomatoes for the rest of the guests. This was a big hit!
Everything Under the Sun also sun-dries other products, such as strawberries, kiwi and mandarin oranges. Their strawberries are intensely-flavored, as well, and are fantastic when soaked in a little bit of liqueur (another tip from the owner).
You can find Everything Under the Sun’s display of fresh and dried products on the back side of the San Francisco Ferry Plaza every Saturday morning and on the front side of the ferry building on Tuesday mornings. You can also contact them directly at: 530-681-1374 .
