Tomatoes in the News

• California Farm Bureau Rains help, but could be 'too little, too late'California Farm BureauIn the southern San Joaquin Valley, which did not receive as much precipitation as Northern California, Bob Wilson, a diversified grower in Kings County, said his tomato planting is "still pretty much on schedule," with three-quarters of his crop ...
• Ag leaders optimistic despite challengesGustine Press-Standard... hay continues to be a West Side staple commodity and the diversity of row crops ranges from broccoli and cauliflower to lima beans and tomatoes. Water issues are clouding this year's prospects, however. The Central California Irrigation District is ...and more »
• ConAgra Completes Del Monte DealFood Product DesignConAgra Foods, Inc., has completed its acquisition of Toronto-based Del Monte Canada, Inc., a leading provider and marketer of packaged fruits, fruit snacks and vegetables in Canada, from an affiliate of Sun Capital Partners.ConAgra Foods Completes Acquisition of Del Monte Canada from an Affiliate of ...MarketWatch (press release)ConAgra Foods completes acquisitionCBS Newsall 19 news articles »
• Tomatoes Ripe With Powerful Health BenefitsFood Product DesignResearchers from the National Center for Food Safety & Technology, Illinois Institute of Technology and ConAgra Foods Inc. examined current research to discover the role tomato products play in health and disease risk reduction. ...Tomatoes Pack A Nutritious Punch, Study FindsBETTER Health Researchall 3 news articles »
• Local companies face cap-and-trade deadlineFresno Business JournalEmitting more than 53000 metric tons of pollutants in 2008, the processing plant of Los Gatos Tomato Products in Huron will also be looking into allowances or offsets to fulfill its share of the emissions cap. Producing around 265 million pounds of ...
• California Farmers Feel PainTruth about Trade & TechnologyFIVE POINTS, Calif.—Sharp cutbacks in water for farmers threaten to trigger renewed layoffs in a large swath of California, eating into the state's $40 billion-a-year agriculture industry and damping its nascent economic recovery.and more »
• California Farm Bureau Commentary: Farm Bureau outlines programs key to farmers, ranchersCalifornia Farm BureauBy Rayne Pegg Programs in the US Department of Agriculture budget that benefit California farmers and ranchers include those aimed at fighting specific pests, such as Asian Citrus Psyllid. Programs in the US Department of Agriculture budget that ...
• Fresno Bee Smelt Supreme Court ruling goes against farmersSan Francisco Chronicle(10-31) 15:43 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- The US Supreme Court denied an appeal today by Central California farmers who claimed the federal government lacks constitutional authority to protect the imperiled delta smelt by limiting north-to-south water ...Supreme Court denies California farmers as Delta smelt swims onWestern Farm Pressall 47 news articles »
• Western Farm Press California tomato processors to contract for 12.7 million tonsWestern Farm PressAs of January, California tomato processors reported plans to sign 2012 contracts totaling 12.7 million tons of processing tomatoes. Processors estimate the contracted production for 2012 will come from 266000 acres producing an average yield of 47.74 ...

Sausage And Beans In Tomato Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups dried white kidney beans or other white beans

Plain Tomato Sauce
(Salsa di Pomodoro Semplice)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed Italian-style tomatoes
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausages
• 1 to 2 cups water
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped

Place beans in a large bowl. Add enough cold water to cover. Soak overnight.

To prepare Plain Tomato Sauce, heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Press tomatoes through food mill or sieve and discard seeds. Add pulp to saucepan. Simmer uncovered 15 to 20 minutes. Season to taste.

Rinse beans under cold running water. Turn into a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer beans until tender but firm, 40 to 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, wash sausages. Puncture in several places with a fork. Put 1 to 2 cups water and sausages in a large skillet. Bring water to a boil. Cook 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat, turning once or twice, until water has all evaporated. Add Plain Tomato Sauce to skillet. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cooked beans. Simmer uncovered, 5 minutes. Stir in parsley and garlic. Cook 5 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6

Adapted from Biba's Northern Italian Cooking. 2002. Biba Caggiano, HP Book