The end of summer provides an incredible harvest of fresh tomatoes perfect for Sauce.  I went to one of my local organic greenhouse farms belonging to Tammy Hudson (Tejeanhus Herbs, Wild Edibles & Vegies). She provided me with some very sweet and delicious tomatoes, including heirloom variety persimmon, which has a yellowy orange skin and is sweet and lower in acid than its red counterparts.   Feel free to use which ever combination of beautiful fresh tomatoes you have in this Fresh Tomato Sauce recipe!

4 cups chopped Fresh Tomatoes

2-4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped

2 tablespoons Onion, finely chopped

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon or 7 fresh basil leaves

1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

(optional) crushed red pepper

Salt & Pepper to taste

Blanch the Tomatoes: Boil water in a pot large enough to accommodate whole tomatoes.  Fill a separate large bowl or pot with ice water.  Plunge the tomatoes in boiling water for 1 minute.  Then plunge them in the ice water and leave then in the water until they are cool enough to handle.

     Use a paring knife to gently peel the skin off the tomato:  slice around the center in both directions and peel the skin back, it should come off very easily. Core the tomatoes and place in a large bowl.  Once the tomatoes have been blanched, skinned and cored, they need to be crushed.  They can be chopped or pressed by hand.  I used my hands to crush and a quick pulse of an emulsion blender on small pockets of tomato in a few parts of the bowl, allowing for variety of texture.  Set aside.

      Finely chop garlic (as much or as little as suits your palate) and onion and set both aside.  Roll the basil leaves together in a stack, long ways.  Then chop them in fine ribbons and set aside.

      Pour the olive oil into a large sauce pot and the pan very warm on a medium high flame. Add the onion and garlic, (optional crushed red pepper) and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add half of the basil strips, followed by the tomatoes.  Bring to a roaring simmer, add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda (to cut the acid of the tomatoes and remove bitter/acid taste of sauce).  Stir thoroughly and lower heat to medium low.  Place lid covering ½ the pan and cook for 30 minutes.  Be sure to stir the sauce a few times during cooking. Add salt and pepper to taste 10 minutes after simmering sauce and Stir in the remaining basil at end Serve with Pasta and Enjoy!

“Fresh Tomato Sauce” by Liz Conforti, Forget What You Know About Wheat(c) 2015

Tajeanhus Wild Edibles & Vegies

NOFA Certified Organic Farm Stand (during season) 7 Days a Week!

5914 Lower Newton Rd, St. Albans, VT 802-363-2676      AND

(St. Albans) Northwest Vermont Farmer’s Market at Taylor Park Saturdays 8am-2pm until 10/31/2015

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