"Old Sauce"

Our garden is brimming with beautiful tomatoes, sadly something my current food plan does not include.  I have been finding other yummies to add to sandwiches and salads but decided I was going to take the lazy quick route and just do my canning all in chunk tomatoes which I reasoned could be opened and made into quick pizza sauce as needed thus avoiding all the bulk cooking, actually canning the stuff AND would help ease the reminder that tomatoes are on my no-no list.  Well my plan backfired big time when I made up some of that quick sauce the other night for  family pizza night.  My 6 year old suspiciously eyed the stuff and asked "Isn't this your old sauce?" and from that point managed to spoil the rest of the meal with constant remarks about how yuck it was and how he wanted the "old sauce".  Finally in exasperation I turned to my husband who was cheerfully but not very speedily eating his piece of pizza and asked him if it was as awful as son made it out to be (remember I can't even taste it).  He paused (wise man ;) and then kindly said, "well it IS kind of bland". Big lesson for mama--apparently to have the edible "old sauce" one must simmer it--DUH!
So today was dubbed tomato day.  My entire deck table was full of large tomatoes.  I dutifully gathered my ingredients and set out to cook up some love for my son who has apparently become quite the foodie with very precise tastes!

Sink full!

lots of yummy including the last of my frozen peppers as we are eating the fresh to fast to save up for this!

lots of hubby's famous Candy onions

basil & oregano

and of course, my trusty Vitamix!

I simply cut the tops and bad spots off and whir away--less waste and less time!

I let it set for a bit then skim the foam off the top--easy peasey!

Somehow I missed this old wives fable tip--simply running cold water in your sink while peeling/chopping onions makes so you don't cry while working with even the stoutest onions!  Who knew?  It really worked tho I felt kind of silly wasting all that water.

trusty buddy again..chopping onions this time!  I do that with my peppers too.  God is so creative with color!

My helper whose reward will be "old sauce"

My big girl getting the cans ready for recycle

Sauce...

and more sauce!  Spagetti anyone?

I have to keep a tally sheet to remember how many pitchers of juice I put in the pot!

And now for the recipe:

• 2 qts tomatoes blended in Vitamix
• 3 onions
• 4 peppers
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 T olive oil
• 3 T butter
• 2 c tomato paste
• 1 t salt
• 1/4 t pepper
• 1 t oregano
• 1 t basil

I simply blend the tomatoes, then puree the onions, peppers and garlic in the Vitamix and add to the tomatoes.  Add spices, oils (can use all butter or all olive oil) and paste.  Simmer until desired thickness-about 2 hours.  ENJOY!

After 40 + quarts we had to sample it at supper time and it got the official passing grade from my dear son who emphatically said "Mom this is soooo good!  It IS your old sauce."

Yup that makes it all worth it ~ It's the little things