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Arty chow

Michael

Basic Tomato Sauce - From Fresh Tomato's

 Making tomato sauce from scratch is a messy endeavor for sure. Friends of the kitchen had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year and I mean bumper crop of every kind you can think of, from Meaty heirlooms to sweet cherry tomatoes. And nothing and I mean nothing tastes better than a fresh off the vine tomato.
Like I said, to do basic red sauce from scratch is a huge operation and you need to give yourself time to do it right. For this recipe use what ever tomato you are growing. Keep in mind that store bought tasteless tomatoes will not do at all.

INGREDIENTS

10-12 Fully ripened tomatoes

1 -  Medium onion coarsely chopped

5 - Garlic cloves coarsely chopped

1 - Cup Fresh Basil coarsely chopped

1 - Bowl of ice water

1 - Large pot of boiling water

1/2 Cup Olive oil plus 1 table spoon 

Olive Oil, Kosher salt and Fresh ground Black Pepper.

METHOD
To peel the tomatoes

1. Bring large pot of water to boil.

2. Wash and core the tomatoes, then cut an X in the bottom. this makes it easier to peel.

3. carefully place the tomatoes, a few at a time into the boiling water for 30 to 45 seconds. When you see the skin start to pull away from the X cut. it's time to take them out and plunge them into the bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. The idea is to not cook the tomato but to just peel the skins off.

4. After all tomatoes have cooled down. peel the skins off with your fingers.

5. Cut the tomatoes in half. Squeeze out the seeds and the juice into a bowl and discard. You just want the flesh of the tomato.

6. Roughly chopped the tomatoes into chunks.

 7. Saute onions in the 1 table spoon olive oil. when they are translucent add the garlic and saute.

8. Place the chopped tomatoes in the pan with the onions and garlic. Top the tomatoes with salt, This is a crucial part of this recipe. The salt goes in at the beginning part of the cooking process to help draw out the moisture of the tomatoes so it can evaporate.

9. Turn heat down to medium low and let simmer for 35 minutes to 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The length of cooking time will vary depending on the ripeness of the tomatoes used.

10. Smash the tomatoes with a wooden spoon as they cook, so the sauce becomes smoother.

11. When the sauce is reduced by half and is thick add the olive oil into the pot and stir to combine.

12. Cook the sauce for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking and to emulsify the sauce.

13. Mix the sauce with your favorite pasta while it's hot and enjoy. Oh, and don't forget to top it all off with copious amounts of cheese!

Chow

Michael