Homemade Tomato Sauce (with fresh ripe tomatoes of the summer)

Homemade Tomato Sauce  (with fresh ripe tomatoes of the summer)

10  seasonally ripe tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic minced

1 small onion minced

¼ cup parsley chopped

¼ cup fresh basil chopped

1 tablespoon oregano

Couple dashes red pepper flakes

Salt and pepper to taste

At the stem end of each tomato cut an X on the very end. Boil a large pot of water. Add the tomatoes and boil for 2 minutes.  Remove with a slotted spoon.  Once the tomatoes cool, peel the skin from the tomatoes at the stem end from the X cut into the skin.

Place n batches on chopping board and cut into pieces.  It will be a bit messy, so not to lose any of the tomato juice, scrap chopped tomatoes into a bowl.

In a large sauce pan place oil and sauté the onion and garlic for 2 minutes making sure not to brown the garlic.

Add the tomatoes and herbs and simmer for about 45 minutes.  Stir a few times.  If you want to thicken the sauce add some tomato paste.

TIPS:

·        This is a general simple tomato sauce that can be changed into many varieties.  Add mushrooms, ground meat, hot pepper, olives, green peppers etc. 

·        Tomato paste will help thicken the sauce (remember tomato paste in bland and needs spices to liven it up)

·        Freeze in zip lock bags laid flat or “put up” by canning in jars.

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!