Mary, thank you so much for posting the recipes! They all look so good, I wouldn't know which one to try first!! I already have them copied and put in my new recipe folder. Beth

I found some really heavy Roma tomaotes at the Farmers' Market to try this recipe. I sliced the tomatoes into 1/4" rings. I even behaved myself and only used cheap-ish Merlot to soak the tomato rings. I dried copious amounts of basil, parsley and oregano -- herbs dry here overnight on the counter. After soaking I found that the skins were literally peeling off the rings... so I took them off. After drying in the dehydrator I had rings that weren't much more than a circle of string.... no body at all. I was soooo disappointed! The herbs were fine, so I tossed them into my mixed herb pot for future reference. So, what should I do next time so I have a more traditional dried tomato?

 Dining & Wine Autos Shad and the Other Roes of Spring By BARBARA KAFKA Published: Wednesday, May 27, 1998  SHAD roe is a delicacy that is a hallmark of spring, but shad is hardly the only fish whose eggs make a delightfully rich supper or snack this time of year. It is easy enough to think of black caviar made of sturgeon eggs, red caviar made of salmon eggs, taramosalata, which is pureed cod roe, and botarga, the tuna or cod eggs that are often used in salads in Mediterranean countries. But we tend to ignore fresh pike and striped bass roes, which can be obtained from fish stores from time to time by those savvy enough to call well in advance. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - STRIPED BASS : has the most elegant roe. When cooked, it has a creamy texture and color much like a fine quenelle. Overfishing has diminished the size of the bass that are caught and consequently the size of the roe available; the roe from one striped bass makes just a snack-size meal. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Pike roe is delicious and finer in texture than shad roe. Trout roe is not available in fish stores, but the fortunate angler can discover how wonderful it is. These other fish roes are also available intermittently through the year, unlike shad, whose season ends by mid-June. From my point of view all roes, including shad, are routinely badly cooked. Shad roe is usually sauteed or broiled; both methods toughen the egg sac and dry out the tender eggs. For years, I have poached roe instead in butter, which is truly delicious but fattening and expensive (a dinner-size portion of roe can easily use up a pound of butter). I give the recipe here for those who are willing to ignore practical concerns for the sake of experiencing the best. AS with most things in life, ''live and learn'' applies to cooking fish roe. My assistant, Esti Marpet, poached pike roe in a court bouillon -- a mixture of water, wine, vegetables and herbs. It is a much less fattening and less expensive method, yet we found it to be full of flavor. Of course, you can poach roe in water, which has the great advantages of allowing you to save the cooked roe and eat it cold later (poaching in butter does not produce an appealing dish of leftovers). Cover the roe with boiling water or court bouillon by an inch and simmer until the roe is opaque. Shad roe will take 9 minutes, pike roe 50 minutes and bass roe 11 minutes. Roes can be served whole, and the larger roes can be sliced across into about inch-thick slices. Hot or cold, roe can be served simply with a slice of lemon, but sauces can be very pleasant, even festive. If the roe has been poached in butter, a butter-based sauce, like the brown butter sauce here, would complement it well. For cold roe, try the South of Spain Sauce, a lively combination of peppers, onions and tomatoes that is also served cold. Fish eggs bind fat just as hen eggs do to make mayonnaise- or hollandaise-type sauces; these can be embellished with shallots, garlic or other fresh herbs. I particularly like to do this trick when someone has caught trout, using the roe to make the sauce. The roe mayonnaise here makes an appetizing dip for the season's fresh vegetables. SHAD ROE POACHED IN BUTTER

I would refrigerate. The tomatoes in the oil are probably acidified before packing but even so, left at room temperature the oil will turn rancid pretty quickly. So even if there isn't a safety issue there's a quality issue. Refrigeration preserves your "investment." Carol