My neighbor’s jaw dropped when she laid eyes on the number of tomato plants thriving in my ever-expanding kitchen garden.
The tomatoes you harvest today can become the rich sauce your family will enjoy tomorrow…and throughout winter.
Photo Credit: ©2007 Dan Hemmelgarn
Wow your family with easy mussels marina!
Photo Credit: ©2007 Dan Hemmelgarn
“What were you thinking!?” she gasped.
“I was thinking about salads and salsa, spaghetti and chili,” I answered. “And tender, juicy beef stews, steamy minestrone soup and layers of lasagna, crusty homemade pizza and chicken cacciatore...” As I rattled off dish after savory dish, I realized that eight out of 10 of my families’ favorite meals easily include the tasty and timeless tomato.
My garden may initially seem overrun with tomato plants, but much like a squirrel hoarding nuts, I’m simply preparing for winter. Unlike the pesky rodent, however, I share any leftovers with my friends who suffer from too much shade, too little time or lack a strong husband who can haul mulch, stake towering vines and drag a garden hose.
Being an avid label reader has convinced me to grow my own ingredients and create my own sauce. (Have you checked the ingredient list on manufactured tomato sauce lately? I challenge you to find one brand that doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup, soybean oil or too much sodium.)
My homemade sauce is simple to prepare and filled with nutrients and flavor:
Into a large stockpot, I’ll toss a few bowlfuls of chopped ripe tomatoes, a few cloves of crushed garlic, a sprig or two of rosemary, a bunch of oregano, a handful of basil and a dash of salt. (The amounts vary according to personal taste, so each batch is slightly different. But no matter – every jar of finished sauce is a delicious memory of summer’s bounty.)
Low, simmering heat thickens the sauce while melding the flavors. After a few hours of occasional stirring, I transfer what I call “delicious medicine” to sturdy glass canning jars, leaving a good 2-3 inches of headspace to allow for expansion during freezing. I also chill the jars before freezing to prevent breakage. When I need sauce, I simply defrost a jar in the refrigerator for a day or two. Or if I’m in a hurry, I’ll run the jar under cool running water, then microwave it for a few minutes. Then voilà: fresh sauce, with no chemical additives or unwanted fat, sugar and salt!
Evenings and rainy weekends provide prime bulk-cooking opportunities. When the process is complete, you’ll have a freezer full of “real” fast food to enjoy through winter – and a valuable investment in your family’s health.
Of course, receiving praise for a well-designed sauce puts the icing on the cake. From-scratch home cooking creates a magical and seductive aroma that whispers coziness, love and comfort. After I spent an evening of sauce-making last week, my son walked through the door, gave me a big hug and announced with a grin and a sigh, “Ah, the house smells like…heaven.”
Funny, that’s just what I was thinking.
