BASIC TOMATO SAUCE
Every cook's repertoire should include a good,
basic tomato sauce. You can serve it as-is over
pasta, pork chops, or grilled chicken, or add
seasoned, sauteed ground beef to make a heartier
sauce for spaghetti.
3 tbsp olive oil
1-1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
3/4 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 med onion, chopped
1 28-oz can Italian tomatoes
1 12-oz can tomato paste
1-1/2 c water
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste
Heat oil in saucepan. Add spices, garlic, and
onion; saute 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients,
cover, and simmer slowly for 2 hours, stirring
occasionally. After 1 hour, add salt and pepper to
taste and more water, if necessary. Remove bay leaf
before serving.
TOMATO JAM
Tomato jam was fairly common back in our
grandmothers' day. It's different from other
jams you may taste--it has a lemon/tomato taste,
almost a hint of ginger. And, of course, it's a
new and different way to put an excess of garden
tomatoes to good use. Makes about 9 cups.
Per 2 tablespoons: 82 cal, 0 g fat, 0 mg
cholesterol, 21.1 g carbohydrates, .2 g fiber,
.1 g protein, 6 mg sodium.
2-1/2 lb ripe tomatoes
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp grated lemon rind
6-1/2 cups sugar
1 6-oz bottle Certo pectin
Peel, core, and chop tomatoes. Bring to a boil
in a heavy pot; simmer 10 minutes.
Measure cooked tomatoes--you need 3 cups. Put
measured quantity in a large pot; add lemon juice,
rind, and sugar. Mix well; bring to rolling boil
over high heat. Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat; stir in Certo immediately. Skim
off any foam. Ladle into sterilized glasses and
seal at once with paraffin (or canning lids if
using canning jars).
