Want to hold on to the taste of summer as long as possible? Need an easy, delicious, and healthy way to use up your ripening tomato harvest?
It’s an 85 degree October day here in San Jose, and the tomatoes in our garden are still holding on to life. Fall pumpkins and squashes will have to wait; we’re not ready to say goodbye to tomato season just yet.
We have found a way to capture that rich tomato flavor of summer with our Tomato Spread with Garlic Butter and Herbs. It can be used to make a healthy snack, a flavorful appetizer, or a spread to bring any sandwich, toast, or breakfast to life.
Photo: Aaron and Lauran Bell Our garden heirloom tomatoes in July of 2023. From left to right: Pink Berkeley Tie-Dye Tomato, Hawaiian Pineapple Tomato, Cherokee Purple Tomato
Why Make This Tomato Spread?
It Packs a Major Flavor Bomb! This spread has a rich, bright, velvety tomato flavor with mild spice from the red pepper flakes. The oregano and thyme bring an earthy note. The garlic adds to the depth of the flavor but is not over-powering. The butter makes it smooth and rich, which is balanced out with lemon. It’s surprising that you can get such a rich, deep tomato flavor in such a short amount of time.
It Only Takes 20 Minutes: This is not a fussy recipe. We went for time savings and flavor so skipped the unnecessary steps of peeling and seeding the tomatoes. I actually like the thicker texture and rustic look that the tomato peel gives to the spread. (Not to mention that the skin of a tomato is a good source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.) I personally use a food processor to speed up the mincing of garlic and herbs, but it’s not necessary.
Simmering Tomatoes Brings Out Extra Health Properties: According to the Tufts University Health and Nutrition Letter, lycopene, which gives the tomato its red color, is known for having many health properties, such as lowering cholesterol, reducing the risk of stroke, and may possibly have cancer fighting benefits. The Tufts Nutrition Letter states that “Cooked tomatoes […] are actually a better way to get lycopene than raw tomatoes, because heat breaks down the cell walls and releases the lycopene.” https://www.nutritionletter.tufts.edu/preventing-cancer/how-to-get-maximum-health-benefits-from-tomatoes/
The Spread Is Extremely Versatile: Want a healthy, delicious snack? This is perfect on a loaf of crusty bread. Want to impress guests with a tasty appetizer? This works nicely on a charcuterie board or served with brie. Need to flavor-up boring sandwiches? This will do it. This spread would taste delicious on biscuits, on cornbread, and on so many breakfast foods: avocado toast, bagels, or with eggs. You know what Walt Disney is credited with saying, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Photo: Lauran Bell Tomato Spread with Garlic Butter and Herbs
The Italian Ingredients in this Tomato Spread:
Photo: Lauran Bell These are some of the primary ingredients you’ll need to make the tomato spread.
When the tomatoes, garlic, and herbs are simmering in the pan, the smell takes me back to my childhood when I would visit my Papa Tom, my Italian grandfather, who was a jockey. It reminds me of his apartment and the smell of his homemade tomato sauce, simmering on the stovetop. I only saw him occasionally, but when I did, he was so full of warmth & so was his cooking. (He always lovingly called me Lauren Bacall, after the American actress.) According to my mom, Papa also made his tomato sauce with a little bit of butter. Unlike my tomato spread recipe, however, he added wine and some sugar. Make this, and your kitchen will smell like a traditional Italian kitchen!
Herbs: oregano & thyme (Basil can be used as a substitute or added if you’d like. I think the oregano is a must, but the herbs can be mixed and matched according to your preference. I prefer fresh herbs from our garden, but you can also use dried herbs.)
Lemon
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Step-By-Step Instructions for Tomato Spread with Garlic Butter and Herbs:
Step 1: Roughly chop the tomatoes into quarters. We use whatever variety of tomatoes we have on hand from the garden. I highly recommend heirloom tomatoes, which you ideally could get from the garden, at a farmers market, or a specialty grocery store. You should have about 4 cups of tomatoes (app. 8 medium-sized tomatoes).
Photo: Lauran Bell Use any variety of tomato to make our Tomato Spread with Garlic Butter and Herbs. (We used the Hawaiian Pineapple & Cherokee Purple varieties, along with a number of other heirloom tomatoes from our garden.)
Step 2: Coat the pan with oil, & add the tomatoes. Cook on medium high for 5 minutes.
Step 3: While the tomatoes are cooking, put the garlic & herbs in the food processor.
Photo: Lauran Bell Oregano and thyme from our garden.
Step 4: Add the garlic and herbs to the saucepan and change the heat to low. Add the salt. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes until it has thickened and is not too watery.
Herb variation: Add basil in addition to or instead of thyme. I personally would not omit the oregano. I like to use fresh herbs, but if you don’t have them, use dried herbs.
Photo: Lauran Bell The consistency of the tomato spread the first 5-10 minutes of simmering
Step 5: As the sauce is thickening, add the lemon and crushed red pepper. Taste as you go to add more salt etc.
Step 6: Add the butter, and continue to let it thicken for another 5-10 minutes. That’s all there is to it!
Photo: Lauran Bell The tomato spread when it’s thickened
Final Notes:
PLAN AHEAD: The flavor will increase the longer you let it sit in the fridge. It can last in the fridge for about 3-5 days.
STORAGE: Freeze it to have summer tomatoes when you can no longer get good ones.
Photo: Lauran Bell Charcuterie board with the Tomato Spread with Garlic Butter and Herbs and some of the fruits and veggies from one of our October 2023 garden harvests
Some of my family’s best recipes happen when we are trying to use our garden harvests in simple ways. My husband threw a version of this tomato spread together one day without really thinking about it. We devoured it all in one tasting. The combination of melted butter and tomato was something I set out to re-create and capture in this recipe. If we can ever save any of this tomato spread to freeze, we will at least be tasting summer during the colder months ahead.
Halloween in our garden (2023) These Sungold cherry tomatoes, grown vertically up a cattle panel, are nearing their end. We will be using our last tomato harvest to make the Tomato Spread with Garlic Butter and Herbs below. It makes a good veggie appetizer to bring to a Halloween party or any upcoming festivity.
Tomato Spread with Garlic Butter and Herbs
Lauran Bell
This Tomato Spread with Garlic Butter and Herbs packs in the flavor! It has a deep tomato flavor that is earthy, bright, and velvety. Use it as a healthy snack with crusty bread, an appetizer, on a charcuterie board, or as a spread to liven up any sandwich or breakfast. It takes only 20 minutes and has only 6 main ingredients, but it'll bring those bold Italian flavors and aromas to the table.
4cupsheirloom tomatoes, cut into quarters 4 cups is about 8 medium-sized tomatoes
1tbspolive oil (optional)to coat the pan
4clovesgarlicminced
1tbsporeganominced
1tbspthymeminced
3tbspbutter
1tbsplemon juice
1/4tspcrushed red pepper (optional)
1/4tsp salt (more to taste)
Instructions
Pour any excess liquid out of the 4 cups of quartered tomatoes. Heat up and coat a frying pan with oil. Once the pan is warmed up, add the tomatoes and simmer them on medium heat for about 5 minutes. While the tomatoes are cooking, mince the garlic and herbs in a food processor. (You don't need a food processor, but it makes the process faster.)
Add the garlic, herbs, and salt to the tomato sauce. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes so that the sauce thickens. Taste and add salt if desired.
Add the red pepper flakes (if using), the lemon, and the butter. Let the sauce simmer for another 5 minutes or until it's thickened. It should not be watery. Taste again to season if necessary. Enjoy!
Notes
PLAN AHEAD & STORAGE: The flavor will increase the longer you let it sit in the fridge. You can make it ahead, and let it sit for about 3- 5 days.
SUGGESTIONS: You do not need to peel or deseed the tomatoes, unless you prefer to do so.
VARIATIONS: You can use fresh or dried herbs, but I prefer fresh. You can mix and match the herbs, and substitute or add basil, but I prefer the oregano.
Every tbsp. of fresh herbs equals a tsp. of dried herbs.
Add a dollop of crème fraiche for a creamier flavor.
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