Homemade Tomato Sauce

My family and I spent the last week in the Black Hills, in my home state of South Dakota. It was a great week in the most, not all things went as planned, things happened that I wasn't pleased with, but I got to see family I haven't seen in a few years, meet new family members, and help celebrate my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary, so I certainly will not complain about that!

My Aunt Vicky....simply, she amazes me! I adore her, as does my husband. She made everyone breakfast every morning, and it was always delish! You should have seen her cabin (I should have taken a photo) food everywhere, that's what I'm talkin' bout! She brought out two 30lbs boxes of tomatoes, but unfortunately the rain did a number on her garden this summer so she got them from a nearby farm, and they were so juicy and good...I would have been happy with just a dinner of tomatoes.



Since I got a pile of tomatoes left over, Rene and I thought we would make a homemade pasta sauce, Rene doesn't eat tomatoes unless it's formally called Ketchup, or pasta sauce, BUT in his defense he did eat A slice of a tomato at dinner one night, and I was pleasantly surprised!

So here's what we did:
~Blended tomato's, since he doesn't like "chunk", my blender is 7 cups, and I wanted to make as much as I could in one pot, so I got 21 cups all together (of liquid tomato)

~Added about 5-7 tbsp of minced garlic
~1 tbsp Italian seasoning
~1 tbsp basil (we used dried, but fresh would be great too)
~1 tbsp oregano (dried, again)
~1 tbsp onion powder (next time I'm going to use fresh onion and blend it with the tomatoes)
~4 tbsp sugar
~1 tbsp salt
~1 tbsp pepper
~1 cup red wine
~1/2 cup olive oil



Now let that bad boy sit on the stove on med-low heat and simmer, after about an hour, take the lid off so it can reduce. Let it sit for an hour of two and check it out, do a taste test and adjust seasonings as you see fit to your taste. If after a few hours it's still a bit thin for you, over the sink pour some of the liquid through a shiver and dump the thick tomato mix back in the pan, that should help thicken it for ya, unless that is you like your sauce runny. It's your sauce, do what ya want, I wont be unset :-)



Either can your sauce of eat it...I did both that night. And now I want to hit a farmers market here in Denver, and get more Colorado tomato's so I can make more to have all winter!





Enjoy...

* And a side note update -  I had a few call and ask about my tomato (i.e Amber and Aunt Vicky) I didn't peel or seed the tomatoes, just wash and throw them bad boys right in the blender....easy is the name of the game.