Fresh Herbs and my Tomato Sauce

Marisa?s flowers

     My herbs are at their best right now. I have already picked and frozen some basil; the more you harvest, the more they grow. Remove only the leaves, please don?t cut the stems. To preserve your plants all summer, pinch off the flowers when they come appear.

This is how I store my basil; I have fresh frozen basil whenever I need it.

I pick the leaves, rinse them in cool water and dry them with my salad spinner.

       

I spread the leaves on a parchment lined cookie sheet,                                                                            freeze them, crush them and store in a zip lock bag.

                                                

They are not as attractive as the fresh herbs but when cooking with it they still taste of like fresh basil.

I ran out of my tomato sauce that accompanies Chicken Parmesan that I posted a couple of weeks ago. It was the perfect time to make a new batch.

                                  

    Have you ever heard or these SAN MARZANO tomatoes?

    I finally found some SAN MARZANO canned tomatoes at a great price.  I?ve seen them before at our Italian Grocers but they are very expensive and I thought tomato is tomato right?  Totally WRONG! I am so happy I bought these so I could try them. My sauce ended up quite thicker and sweeter than with regular canned tomatoes. I really enjoy experimenting in my kitchen; adding something new to something old makes the Foodie world go round.

 

Compared to the Roma Tomatoes with which most people are familiar, Marzano tomatoes are thinner and pointier in shape. The flesh is much thicker with fewer seeds, and the taste is stronger, sweeter and less acidic. Many people describe the taste as bittersweet, like high-quality chocolate.  Please don?t think that you need these tomatoes to make my sauce. I have been using regular Heinz tomatoes and my sauce is Squisita!

Thank you to my grand daughter who was ready to help me with my Italiano.  Merci Michelle!

 

This is the tomato sauce I have in the freezer year round.

  If we have success with our Topsy Turvy Tomatoes, I will be making it again in September. The best thing about this sauce is that you make it in your crockpot, keeping your kitchen cool in the summer months.

 

Slow Cooker Tomato Sauce Recipe 

The beauty of slow cooking is that you set it and then forget it. This sauce can be used for many meals. Freeze some, Have it on pasta, on bread with cheese, toasted mini pizzas, over baked chicken (Parmesan or not) or beef, lasagna. Tomatoes are very nutritious.This make them taste great! Fresh herbs are a plus.

by Sage

 

 

 

 

 

 

          

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil 2 onions, chopped 5 garlic cloves, minced 2 carrots, finely chopped 3 celery ribs, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 1 red pepper, chopped 3 (28 ounce) cans tomatoes, crushed 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce 4 tablespoons tomato paste 1 (10 ounce) can tomato soup 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaf 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves 1/2 teaspoon thyme 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 1 dash red pepper flakes

 

                   I almost forgot my bell pepper.

        

     Instructions

Heat oil in skillet; add onions,garlic, celery, peppers and carrots. Sauté on high until transparent. Transfer to slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients.

    5. Stir to blend together.

    6. Cook on low for 9 hours or on high for 6 hours.

    7. About an hour before serving time, check and thin with water if necessary.

      I love a thick sauce.

      Tip: Use your processor on the pulse mode to chop your vegetables.

        This also works: Set the Slow cooker on Low and let is cook overnight.

       I always try to make it in the summer and add my fresh herbs by the handful.

I spoon my sauce in jars while it is still hot, the heat seals them and I store them in the freezer until next time I need a jar of tomato sauce. The smell in the house when this is cooking makes it all worth it.

Slow Cooking Tomato Sauce

I didn?t have  a green peppers but?

"Omit and substitute! That's how recipes should be written. Please don't ever get so hung up on published recipes that you forget that you can omit and substitute."        Jeff Smith (the Frugal Gourmet)

It you are still reading this, check my side bar; my husband has devised a way of self- watering our Topsy Turvy Tomatoes when we are away. It seems there are no limit to his talents; still surprising me after 47 years.

Thank  you for joining me and for your comments.                                                                                                              Enjoy the summer with all the goodies Mother Nature is giving us.                                                                                     

Rita

  Our zinnias are appearing!