You Say Tomato Powder - I say Tomato Caviar: A Guest Post

Today's post is by Francesca Hutchinson from Thrive Sisters.  Francesca is an incredible member of my Shelf Reliance consultant team. She actually ended up on my team quite by accident, and I couldn't be happier.  We have become great friends and enjoy supporting and helping each other in our businesses.  She has many skills and talents that I lack.  One is her ability to create incredibly gourmet and delicious appetizers and meals with Thrive food.  The first time I met Francesca, I tried her Ham and Corn Chowder and Crock pot Brownies (all made with Thrive) and knew I was lucky to work with this incredible lady.  Apart from her Shelf Reliance business, she also works full time and cares for her family.  I don't know how she finds the time to do all she does and do it so very well. 

I asked her to create a fun, "gourmet" recipe using Thrive and she did not disappoint.  Read on to learn to make Caviar from food storage!  Then, check out her blog for even more gourmet food storage recipes!

Thrive Tomato Powder can make your cooking life so much easier. I found a way to make it fun as well!

BLT ala Francesca

I've always loved to cook and I always love to play around with making new foods. I watch more cooking shows than I care to admit and search many foodie sites. Well worth it in my mind.

I already use Thrive Tomato Powder to make tomato paste, ketchup, tomato soup, tomato sauce, pizza sauce, pasta sauce. I add it to soup, stews and casseroles. I will blend it with mayo for sandwiches.

I'm a big fan of tomatoes. OK I have to be, I'm Italian, it's in my blood. I'm also a big fan of lycopene for any potential help in prevention of or fighting off cancer. All that aside I love the taste of tomatoes. Not the watery and tasteless ones from the grocery store. Besides the fact that they are picked under ripe and "forced" to ripen they commit a food sin by refrigeration of the tomatoes for transportation. Have you even been to a salad bar and their tomatoes look like pale photo copies of real tomatoes? You are better off eating your napkin! With the Thrive Tomato Powder you get the full bodied ripened tomato with flavor!

This weekend I decided to play with spherification. Yes, that is a real word. In short it means; controlled jellification of a liquid which forms spheres when submerged in a bath. Now how fun does that sound? This sounded like a perfect new way to use my tomato powder. Plus, this is something anybody could do if they desired.

Tomato Caviar

1/2 Cup    Water

1   Tbs    Thrive Tomato Powder

1   Garlic clove, smashed

     Lemon Juice, a few drops (fresh squeezed or don't bother)

1   tsp  Agar (vegetarian gelatin substitute) *

1   Cup Canola Oil

Eye dropper

Place the oil in a glass container and place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes, as the oil needs to be ice cold.

In a small sauce pan combine the rest of the ingredients. Bring up to a boil, then simmer for 3 minutes, to thoroughly dissolve the agar agar. Remove from heat and let the liquid cool some before the next step. You want it hot, just not boiling hot. I let mine sit for about 3 minutes.

Strain the tomato juice to remove the garlic pieces.

Use the eye dropper to make droplets on the top of the oil.

Some drops were singles, some I made double drops to ensure a variety of sizes.

Let them stay in the cold oil for a minute or two to develop a thin coating to secure the juice inside.

Tomato Caviar

Carefully remove with a slotted spoon and place in another contain with clear cool water to rinse. Remove with slotted spoon and allow to drain on a paper towel for a moment.

Your little tomato caviar are now ready to use!

Toast, Egg, Bacon & Tomato

Just a touch of mayo, blue cheese or ranch dressing and they are ready to serve!

*Agar agar can be found in the food aisle by the seaweed.

The more we can save money, feed our families nutritious food, prepare ourselves and our friends and neighbors the better off we ALL are.

Francesca … 

is a mother and a Shelf Reliance consultant who is concerned about food security and taste.  Being a rouge cook allows her to make food storage more creative.