There was a time I would go overboard with the purchase of local tomatoes and growing our own tomatoes. With an excess of tomatoes I needed a solution beyond the traditional tomato sauce method.
I would go through the entire process of treating the case of tomatoes to a quick boil then cold water bath to remove the skins, followed by the food mill, more cooking and finally a hot water bath for canning. Not anymore. Roasting tomatoes and a quick puree can be a simple recipe for frozen sauce.
In a house with no central air-conditioning, being judicious about turing on anything that heats a space is smart. It’s another upside to this recipe. Also, you can play with the ingredients. Use red pepper, fresh basil and more or less garlic or carrots called for in the recipe. Once you have the vegetables roasted removing the skins from the slightly cooled tomatoes is easy, by pinch the skin and pull up and if you need to between your two fingers.
I’ve found this roasting method to be simple, flavorful and much less of a hassle for our needs. I am cooking for two, not the neighborhood!
- 3 pounds tomatoes
- 2-3 cups sliced carrots, cut into ¼-inch discs
- 3 medium onions, chopped
- 8 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
- Olive oil
- Salt, Ground Pepper, Dried Thyme, Dried Oregano, to taste
- Fresh basil, to taste
- Preheat the oven to 425˚F. Line 1-inch rimmed baking pans, with aluminum foil. Prepare with non-stick spray or olive oil.
- Halve the tomatoes, removing seeds with your finger or a spoon. Place face-down on the pan. Spread the carrots, onions and garlic between the tomatoes and lightly spray with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and the herbs.
- Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, checking after 30 minutes. When they are softened and toasted (see photo) remove from the oven and allow to rest about 20 minutes.
- When the tomatoes are cool enough to touch, peel the skin from the tomato by pinching in the center and pulling up; discard the skin.
- Puree in a food processor or blender, in small batches, until your desired texture is achieved.
- Blend in fresh basil and a pinch of sugar or salt, to taste.
- Once cool, place in freezer safe jars or bags and freeze.
Leave a Reply