Summer Harvest Tomato Sauce Recipe
At the beginning of September, when the mornings are getting cooler, and my heart knows these busy summer days are coming to an end, this is the sauce I make. One last garden harvest to collect the glut of little red, yellow, and orange delights (and if we’re lucky some onions, courgettes, and cucumbers too).
Or if the garden isn’t an option then a trip to the greengrocers or markets to collect a big bag full, ready to roast up and enjoy. I make large quantities of this sauce and freeze portions, ready and waiting to be used in autumn and winter when tomatoes don’t taste of much. On a wet and windy afternoon or a cold and grey Sunday, they act as a ticket back to those summer days, a little treat in the dark.
This is the first year I have made my sauce without the company of little hands. I am still trying to get used to the quiet house while they are at school. I think I’ll make some more at the weekend, with the company, it feels good to make this with your best friends.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Olive oil
- 500g Tomatoes
- 1-2 Red Onions
- 1 Bulb Garlic
- Salt and pepper
*The quantities in this recipe are a guideline, I know this is the case with all recipes but it is especially true with this one. I absolutely love garlic, so if you don’t you may wish to add less etc.
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180 – 200 C and get out a 30 by 20cm dish
- Drizzle your dish with olive oil and then sprinkle over your salt and pepper (I personally find that more is more with this one).
- Chop up your red onion into about 1-inch chunks and sprinkle into the dish. Chunk up your beautiful tomatoes into about 2-inch chunks (this recipe is really forgiving so don’t worry too much) and add to your dish as well.
- Cut the very top off your garlic bulb and then nestle it into one of the corners of your dish and add a little bit of oil to the top of the bulb (it stops it burning) and then you are ready to go.
- Place your dish into the oven and roast for about 30-40 minutes. It’s done when everything is roasted and slightly blackened and smells wonderful.
- Take the dish out, remove the garlic bulb, and then pour everything else into your food processor. I then add at least half of the garlic cloves by squeezing them out into the processor too. If it’s a small bulb (or people are starting to get colds) I will add a bit more.
- I whizz it all together until smooth and then pour it into a pan and cook on the hob over a medium heat for about 20 minutes to reduce it down and thicken.
- And then it’s ready! If we manage not to eat it all straight away with pasta then I freeze as many portions as I can to enjoy later when those summer days are just beautiful memories.
If you make this sauce I hope it brings you as much joy as it does us. Delayed gratification really isn’t my strong point, but every time we have a simple pasta meal in the winter months using this sauce it makes me so happy. And, just quickly, I really do recommend making it with your children. It’s super fun and a great recipe for them to practice their cutting skills, plus mine are always more likely to eat what they have made.
Livvy
