Marinated Dried Tomatoes

On September 17, 2026September 17, 2026 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, dehydratedLeave a comment

My food dehydrator has been in near-constant use in recent weeks as the garden pumps out an array of herbs, vegetables, and fruit. I’ve been drying my year’s supply of homegrown thyme, rosemary, basil, and celery leaves. Dried tart cherries are now waiting to be used in place of cranberries in Smoky Oatmeal–Cranberry Cookies and Cranberry-Orange Quick Bread, and the dehydrator racks are currently full of homegrown grapes transforming into raisins.

I’ve also been dehydrating batches of the marinated tomatoes I share this week in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon. These tomatoes feature not just in my dehydration workshops, like Preserving Your Garden and Dehydration for Everyone, but also in my upcoming Fine Dining: Front Country class through Flathead Valley Community College’s Continuing Education program. In this class, where I share my best tips for meal planning, pretrip prep, and packing tools that make front-country cooking easy, I explain just how versatile these tomatoes are for the meals I prepare while car camping or cruising aboard our sailboat. I’ve also been drying cherry tomatoes, which rehydrate beautifully in a brine for a bruschetta we’ll eat during the class.
Learn to make Marinated Dried Tomatoes

Kitchen Favorites: Ice Trays

On October 18, 2022November 19, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Freezing, Topic2 Comments

I’ve been writing a lot recently about some of my favorite tools for freezer storage: ice trays. As I mentioned last week in my Flathead Beacon column, ice trays that make 1-cup cubes have become my new favorite tools for freezing stocks. Earlier this year, I had the chance to test and review a collection of ice trays that produce cubes in a range of sizes. While most of my testing involved making ice for cocktails, I also used some of the trays to freeze pesto, sauces, and more for quick and easy storage.

One of these trays ended up being my favorite for 1-ounce portions, as I share in my latest piece for The Spruce Eats. The Everyday Ice Tray is part of W&P’s Peak collection, along with the Cup Cubes Freezer Tray that I’ve been using for stocks. I’m not a W&P affiliate and don’t earn a commission on sales; I just really like these trays for freezing food.
Learn about choosing and using ice trays

Winding Down the Season

On September 30, 2022November 18, 2023 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Column, frozen1 Comment

This September, we’ve been lucky to have fairly warm days and nights in Montana, with just a couple of hints at a killing frost that we were able to protect against temporarily. But the garden is still winding down. In the main garden, I’m finding fewer cucumbers and snap beans, with vines starting to dry and lose leaves. In the greenhouse, tomatoes and tomatillos are putting all of their energy into ripening existing fruit. It’s time to grab the last of the garden’s treats and stash it all away for winter.

This week, in my Twice as Tasty column for the Flathead Beacon, I share some of my favorite storage techniques for a range of vegetables. The article focuses on easy ways to save individual vegetables without needing to can or ferment them or changing their base flavor into a pickle or sauce. The techniques rely on freezing, dry storing, and dehydrating and can be done quickly with minimal prep.
Learn about winding down the season

Prepare to Dehydrate

On July 16, 2020July 31, 2020 By Julie Laing | Twice As TastyIn Dehydrating, Topic, Workshops1 Comment

Dehydration is simple and handy in the kitchen and on adventures. Learn more at TwiceasTasty.com.
As you prepare to preserve your harvest, it’s easy to overlook a simple and effective technique: dehydration. The process provides nutritional, flavor, and storage benefits and both preserves and enhances a surprising range of foods. Dried foods are handy not just in your kitchen but also in your child’s lunchbox, the stem bag on your bike, the front pouch on your daypack, and your ski jacket pocket.

Like most preservation techniques, dehydrating has pros and cons. On the upside, dehydrating intensifies the flavor of food, saves space, and needs little hands-on time. On the downside, food that isn’t fully dried or properly stored can mold. And although you can dehydrate in open air, you’ll get the best control over moisture, heat, and other factors is you use a dehydrator.
Learn to dehydrate and make Marinated Dried Tomatoes