Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Our tomato garden was particularly bountiful this year. However, that would usually mean hours of tedious work by the kitchen sink to skin, core, and seed those buckets of tomatoes to make sauces and soups. I had purchased an expensive food mill a few years ago from Williams-Sonoma, but it performed so poorly that I took it back. This year I did some research and decided to try the OXO Good Grips food mill, and it works like a charm. Those tomatoes were all pureed in no time, and clean-up was a breeze. I haven't tried milling other foods yet, but I bet this would be great for applesauce, too. A few important tips: Cook the tomatoes in boiling water 1 - 2 minutes to loosen the skins, and cut any large tomatoes into chunks before you mill them. Make sure the sieve disc at the bottom of the food bowl is inserted so that the peak is pointed upward, or it won't work. As you rotate the handle to crush the tomatoes, occasionally do some backwards turns to redistribute the tomatoes. Work in batches so you don't overfull the food bowl, and rinse out any debris from seeds and skins between each batch. Use a spatula to scrape any thick juices that cling to the underside. For anyone interested, here's a great, easy recipe for Chicken Parmesan Soup that you can make with a pound of tomatoes: Heat 2 Tb olive oil in large soup pot over medium heat. Add 2 cups chopped onion and 1 tsp salt, and cook 8 minutes to soften. Add 1 Tb minced garlic and ½ tsp red pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute. Add 6 cups Swanson’s chicken broth. Add 1 lb pureed tomatoes and 2 Tb tomato paste. Add 2 tsp chopped fresh oregano and 1 Tb chopped fresh basil. Cover pot, and simmer 10 minutes, then puree the soup with an immersion blender. Add 1 lb boneless chicken cut into bite size pieces. Add 8 oz spiral pasta, cover, and simmer 15 minutes until chicken and pasta are cooked. Off heat, stir in ½ cup grated Parmesan until melted. Stir in 4 Tb chopped fresh basil. Season to taste with salt & pepper, and add a little sugar, if needed. Bon appetit!