As part of its ongoing Community Connections series, Special Needs Services (SNS) of Ray County recently held an evening focused on preparing and preserving seasonal produce, with an emphasis on tomatoes.

During the tomato-themed session at the Ray County Library, SNS Director Suzan Breen and Library Director Stacy Hisle shared recipes, preparation tips and preservation techniques as attendees sampled dishes and followed along. The event featured several ways to put fresh tomatoes to use, from a chilled salad to canned salsa and homemade spaghetti sauce.

The recipes provided by SNS include: Tomato Salad

6 firm, ripe tomatoes 1/8 minced garlic ½ tsp salt ½ tsp sugar ½ tsp ground black pepper ½ tsp oregano leaves ½ tsp basil leaves 2 tsp red wine vinegar 2 tbsp olive oil To prepare, dice the tomatoes and add the garlic, seasonings, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Mix well, then cover and chill before serving.

During the demonstration, Breen put her own touches on the recipe, using fresh basi…