End of the Summer Tomatoes..

So I had a bunch of tomatoes to use up at the end of this summer before I pulled out my tomato plants and I was in a quandary with what to do with them. So, I looked up on line how to make your own, homemade tomato sauce from scratch and it was surprisingly easy. Here's what I came up with in case you find yourself with tomatoes you don't want to waste.

First, cut a slit down one side of your tomato....

...and then put them in a pot of boiling water for just a minute or two in order to remove the skins.

After they have been in a boiling bath for 1-2 minutes, strain them and rinse them under cold water for another minute. Then peel the skin off of them, it comes right off really easily and put them right into your food processor.

Once they are blended you are going to add them to a stock pot that has some celery, onion, garlic, and a drizzle of Grape Seed Oil (the amount you use with all of the ingredients depends on how many tomatoes you are working with).

Let them simmer on low for about 2 hours. You can add this as your base to any soups (like Minestrone Soup or the like), spaghetti sauce, or any other red sauce. I added red wine and seasonings (like Oregano & thyme, s & p) to mine and used it as a light spaghetti sauce with some ground meat and noodles- so simple and fresh!

The tomatoes cook way down, so the more you use the better. If you find your sauce getting to thick add a bit of water (or wine!) to get it to the consistency you like.You can freeze this or use it right on the spot- you won't be disappointed!