Basic Chunky Tomato Sauce

If you are a ‘type A’ personality, this recipe will totally frustrate you. I make it different every time, but it is so essential to my kitchen and central cooking philosophies that I don’t even deign to tell you how to make it for yourself. Play with it, find “your flavor”, and then make A LOT of it.

There are many brand name versions of this in the “canned crushed/chopped tomatoes” section. I use this as a base for soups, slow-cooker meals, pasta sauces – anything requiring a tomato base. It adds so much flavor, with very little effort!

A large amount of tomatoes

Garlic

Basil and/or oregano

Get a nice big pot of water boiling, a sharp knife, a slotted spoon or tongs, a big empty bowl, and have your garbage handy. For each tomato, score the outside with 3 or 4 quick slashes stem to stern. Toss it in the boiling water, give it 15 to 30 seconds, then pull it out. As soon as you can without causing 3^rd degree burns, pull the skins off and toss them. Pile the naked maters in the bowl to cool.

When you are done, take your naked maters and remove the stems. Roughly chop them. Toss the water from the pot, and refill it with the chopped tomatoes. Here’s where it gets “dicey” (heehee – see what I did there?). Smash and chop a large amount of garlic. How much will depend on how many tomatoes you are doing and how much you like garlic. We like A LOT. Better too much than too little, in my book. Toss it in with the tomatoes.

Now, I prefer basil, but will use oregano if it’s all I have, or sometimes blend them. Same rules apply as the garlic; you are going to have to eyeball the amount. The mixture in the pot should look like chunky tomato sauce, with the little flecks of white and green. Purdy, ain’t it?

Heat the mixture to a simmer and let it go for 15 minutes or so, just to soften the tomatoes some and blend the flavors. Pull it off the stove and let it cool. Jar it up. I use old spaghetti sauce jars and you will find it “measured” this way in my recipes. My batches usually make 6 or 7 jars at a time. I usually try to make a few batches all at once and freeze it. If you do this, remember not to fill the jars all the way up, or all your hard work will be ruined when the jars explode in the freezer!

Just as an aside – some of the canned versions have olive oil included or salt and pepper. I have done this, and it is good, but I find the sauce more versatile if I leave it out and just add it to any recipe that needs it on its own.