Basic Tomato Sauce

Image courtesy Creative Commons 

Tomato sauce is a handy kitchen staple that is the foundation of many dishes. We are  posting this now because fresh tomato season will be upon us soon. This is a something that can be made in large batches in the summer time and frozen for use later this winter. If you want to bottle-can it, please check for our post we'll be putting up on safety tips for bottling low acid foods, or send us an email at our.greener.kitchen@gmail.com and we'll get back to you. 

 Basic Tomato Sauce 

• Yield: Makes 2 1/2 cups of sauce.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped - about 1/2 cup 
• 1 small carrot or 1/2 large carrot, finely chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, including the green tops, finely chopped
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 - 3 mushrooms, chopped (optional) 
• 1 clove garlic, minced
•  2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil 
• 1 Tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried oregano 
• 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes, including the juice, or 1 3/4 pound of fresh tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method

1 Heat olive oil in a large wide skillet on medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery and mushrooms (if using). Stir to coat with oil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are softened and cooked through.

2 Remove cover and add the minced garlic. Increase the heat to medium high. Cook for garlic for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, including the juice and shredding them with your fingers if you are using canned whole tomatoes. Add the tomato paste and the basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a low simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook, uncovered until thickened, about 15 minutes. 

3. If you want you can push the sauce through a food mill, or blend it with an immersion blender, to give it a smooth consistency.

adapted from Simply Recipes