Saturday, July 29, 2017

World's most awesome pizza sauce

The tomato harvest is overwhelming my harvest bucket.  It's been a great year for tomatoes in my garden.  We've had plenty of rain, the blight infection has been lighter than normal, and until recently the evening temperatures were low enough for high rates of pollination. 

Now, what shall I do with all the tomatoes?  I don't have storage in my pantry so canning is out and I only have the freezer in my refrigerator so freezer space is limited as well.

My first project was to make fresh tomato sauce.   All of the ingredients are fresh and a significant portion come from my own garden.  The first time I made it, we used it for homemade pizza.  My family promptly renamed the recipe "The World's Most Awesome Pizza Sauce." 

This week, I made a triple batch of pizza sauce, freezing it in one cup portions.  Then we had to make some pizza to make sure it turned out, of course.

Here is the recipe:
 3/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup olive oil (I sometimes use bacon grease)
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (about 3 medium)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Saute onion in the oil until tender.  Stir in garlic, thyme, and red pepper and saute about 2 minutes.  Stir in tomatoes and brown sugar.  Reduce heat and simmer until tomatoes are well cooked.  Stir in the rest of the ingredients and simmer for another 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool.
Pulse the mixture in the blender, small batches at a time until it reaches your preferred consistency.
Use immediately, refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze.  I freeze it in freezer bags in 1 cup portions to save space.

Of course, the tomatoes keep coming--I've got more plans for them. 


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