mise en place<\/p><\/div>\n

It’s not quite peak tomato season in our area, so this batch of sauce welcomed canned tomatoes.<\/p>\n

Steps<\/strong><\/p>\n

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• Cook diced onions and carrots in a little oil over medium heat for about 8 minutes, until slightly softened and they take on a light golden color. Add minced garlic and cook for another minute.<\/li>\n
• Add fresh roma or plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped. If not tomato season, add canned whole tomatoes, coarsely chopped or chopped or crushed canned tomatoes (and their juices). Add tomato puree, a bay leaf, and dried thyme.<\/li>\n
• Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and gently simmer, stirring occasionally until a good sauce-like consistency develops, about 45 minutes. The exact cooking time will depend on the size of your saucepan and the quality of the tomatoes and their natural moisture content.<\/li>\n
• Remove and discard the bay leaf. If you prefer a smooth sauce, blend in batches in a blender or use a hand-held immersion blender.<\/strong><\/a> We prefer using an immersion blender. It’s much safer and easier than transferring hot sauce to a blender.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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  • Add a teaspoon or two of sugar (2 tsp if tomatoes are super acidic), fresh chiffonade of basil, fresh chopped rosemary, and simmer for an additional 2-3 minutes. Taste and adjust with a little salt and pepper, if needed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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    The sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months. Just transfer into freezer containers or freezer bags.<\/p>\n

    Chef Joel’s Tips<\/strong><\/p>\n

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    • To cut a chiffonade of basil, stack several basil leaves and roll lengthwise into a cylinder. Cut crosswise into thin strips or shreds while holding the leaf roll tightly.<\/li>\n
    • When it comes to canned tomatoes, using poor quality tomatoes can leave an acidic or tinny taste in your mouth. We like to use Pomi brand chopped tomatoes<\/strong><\/a>…the ones in the box.<\/li>\n
    • When it comes to fresh tomatoes, core the tomatoes. With a paring knife, cut an “X” through the skin at the bottom of the tomato. Drop in boiling, salted water and blanch for 30 seconds to a minute, just to loosen the skins. Transfer to an ice bath (bowl of ice and water) to stop the cooking. When the tomatoes have cooled, remove from ice bath and peel the skin off the tomato starting from the “X” at the bottom. Cut the tomato in half crosswise through the middle. Remove seeds and coarsely chop.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

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