Cooking with your roasted tomatoes

Good day dear neighbors.  I hope everyone had a good weekend.  We had a weekend full of fun and fellowship with wonderful friends.

Today I want to continue with Friday's post about putting up your summer harvests.  I basically talked about freezing and drying your harvests.  I use these methods primarily when I do not have a large harvest.  If I have an abundance of tomatoes or other vegetables I prefer to can them.  Canning requires special equipment and detailed instructions that I will not cover on my blog.  If you are interested in this method of preserving your foods I would suggest you buy books on canning, call your county extension office or look on the world wide web.  There is an abundance of information out there to help you learn how to can.

The beauty of putting up all of your wonderful vegetables is, of course, enjoying them over the winter when you want the flavor of your sun kissed bounties. 

The roasted tomatoes and other vegetables can be tossed in stews, soups, and casseroles.  You can also add the roasted tomatoes to some cooked pasta or create a gourmet tasting pizza with them.

Now I want to share my recipe for an easy basic marinara sauce using your roasted tomatoes.  If you do not have roasted tomatoes you can use two cans of tomatoes from the store.

You will need:

1 minced onion
2-3 chopped carrots
2-3 minced garlic cloves
Pinch of dried hot pepper flakes
1 small can tomato paste
1 small can tomato sauce
3-4 cups roasted tomatoes
1-2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon each of dried oregano, basil and thyme

Saute the onions and carrots in olive oil until soft, add the garlic and hot pepper flakes and cook until you start smelling the garlic.  Garlic burns easily and turns bitter.  Then add the rest of your ingredients.   You can add vegetable broth or water if it is too thick.  Simmer for about 30 minutes to an hour.  If you like your sauce chunky, serve it as is.  If you prefer a smooth sauce you can run it in a food processor but be careful if it is hot.  I use a hand-held immersion blender.  If you have fresh herbs, add them the last few minutes of cooking. 

The carrots in this recipe adds sweetness without sugar and gives you beneficial nutrients.  You can also add other vegetables like zucchini, eggplant, yellow squash, or peppers.  This is just a basic marinara sauce and it is very versatile. 

Serve it over any kind of pasta or use it in any recipes that call for marinara sauce.   Enjoy!

Some beautiful basil in my garden



I hope you all will try this recipe.  It is delicious.  I welcome any comments or questions you may have about this recipe.

Have a blessed and peaceful evening.

SCL

Delight yourself in the Lord and he

will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalms 37:4