Sauce from garden tomatoes

[newsmike]

Now that we are just a couple of weeks from the star of Autumn, I am making fresh tomato sauce from my 12 tomato plants in the garden twice a week or so.

The idea is to freeze 20-30 two cup servings of sauce to last through a long winter since this will be our light, fresh tomato sauce. I will also continue to make my tried and true Brooklyn Sunday sauce that is at least 4 generations old now, and a staple.

Since this is a light sauce which can be taken in any direction, I normally proceed as follows:

10 pounds tomatoes, quartered
1 huge onion, chopped
4  TB Olive Oil
10 Basil Leaves chopped
1 TB salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

Saute onion in oil, 10 min. Add tomatoes and cook till they soften, about 20 min.
Run tomatoes through food mill to remove seeds and skins. Return to pot, add basil, salt and pepper and cook down to desired consistency.

This is a great starter sauce and can be taken 100 diffferent ways.

Wondering what you all do?

[Mick.Chicago]

Ever tried not cooking it before putting on the pieeezaaaaarrrrr?

Makes a world of difference in my opinion.

But that's just my opinion, it's not really a simmered sauce you have so I guess you won't get too much darkening when cooked.

[Gino that Bastad]

what gets the skins off??

[NY pizzastriver]

Ever tried not cooking it before putting on the pieeezaaaaarrrrr?

Makes a world of difference in my opinion.

But that's just my opinion, it's not really a simmered sauce you have so I guess you won't get too much darkening when cooked.

I agree about it making a world of difference, but in the complete opposite direction. Also not sure about the darkening you speak of, I've made 4 hour sauces that are the same color after cooked on the pizza.

what gets the skins off??

You cut out stem, x the bottom, boil for 30 secs, no more skins. See pictorial details here.
http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,11642.msg107991.html#msg107991

As to OP I'd saute garlic with the onion, makes a world of difference! And man, if you're getting 50-60 cups of sauce you must have some tomato plants! That's a lotta 'maters! I cook mine down to make it thicker though, I also notice a bit of tomato paste is a good binder, but again you have to cook it for awhile.

Peace

[Jet_deck]

 ... I will also continue to make my tried and true Brooklyn Sunday sauce that is at least 4 generations old now, and a staple....

Care to share the recipe for the Brooklyn Sunday Sauce?  Is this a pasta sauce or pizza or both?

[newsmike]

Ever tried not cooking it before putting on the pieeezaaaaarrrrr?

Makes a world of difference in my opinion.

But that's just my opinion, it's not really a simmered sauce you have so I guess you won't get too much darkening when cooked.

Absolutely. Since I have a ton of tomatoes right now, I have to process them and this gives me the most versatility. I see it as such a light sauce that I can use it straight on pizza, or cook it down another hour and use it on lasagne or any pasta. When I freeze it it's looser than what you would use on pasta. I love being able to continue to cook to any desired consistency later and use as an all purpose seasoned tomato sauce.

[newsmike]

what gets the skins off??

I just started using a method that I read about which saves the entire peeling step. Just quarter the tomatoes and throw them in the pot with the sauteed onions and olive oil. Cook over medium high heat and in just a few minutes they start giving off liquid and the skins steam right off them. Continue to cook for about 20 minutes mashing them with the spoon here and there, and then run through a food mill. This takes the seeds and skins out at the same time and leaves you with a perfectly smooth puree which goes back in the pot. season with salt, red pepper flakes and maybe 10-12 torn basil leaves, and cook down to whatever consistency you like. I keep it loose to allow forther cooking down later.

[newsmike]

Care to share the recipe for the Brooklyn Sunday Sauce?  Is this a pasta sauce or pizza or both?

You bet. This is a sauce for pasta only, way too heavy for pizza, but oh man it's good.

1 pound ground beef
1 pound Italian sausage, sweet, hot or both, cut into 2 inch pieces.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, crushed
2 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes
1 28 oz can tomato puree
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup dry red wine

Brown ground beef and sausage in 1 tablespoon olive oil, drain and set aside. In a large
saucepot, saute onion and garlic in remaining oil. Add tomatoes, sugar, salt, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper, wine and browned meat.

Simmer on low-medium heat one hour, covered. Then one hour uncovered, stirring occasionally.

Adjust for salt near the end of cooking, as there's a lot of concentration going on here, and if it tastes right early on it will be too salty later.

[Jet_deck]

I guess you like to substitue the sauce you are making above for the 28 oz puree called for in the Brooklyn Sunday Sauce?  I'd bet that without the ground beef and sausage that it would be an excellent pizza sauce   Thanks for the recipe!

[newsmike]

I guess you like to substitue the sauce you are making above for the 28 oz puree called for in the Brooklyn Sunday Sauce?  I'd bet that without the ground beef and sausage that it would be an excellent pizza sauce   Thanks for the recipe!

Hand't tried it, but that's a great idea. Thanks. Now I have an experiment to conduct. :-)

[NY pizzastriver]

I just started using a method that I read about which saves the entire peeling step. Just quarter the tomatoes and throw them in the pot with the sauteed onions and olive oil. Cook over medium high heat and in just a few minutes they start giving off liquid and the skins steam right off them. Continue to cook for about 20 minutes mashing them with the spoon here and there, and then run through a food mill. This takes the seeds and skins out at the same time and leaves you with a perfectly smooth puree which goes back in the pot. season with salt, red pepper flakes and maybe 10-12 torn basil leaves, and cook down to whatever consistency you like. I keep it loose to allow forther cooking down later.

Or just blanch 'em.
http://www.ehow.com/how_4705926_blanch-tomatoes.html

Same as quartering but you have the whole tomato to work with after, faster and less mess. Your mill sounds good for de-seeding, but I also recommend trying some chunks here and there instead of puree, but that's again just personal preference.

Nice chatting with ya!