Summer Fresh Tomato Sauce

I buy too many tomatoes at the farmer’s market. It’s easy to do. I tend to arrive late, right before the farmers are preparing to leave, so I often scoop up large quantities of very ripe tomatoes farmers are glad to get rid of.

Turn pounds and pounds of tomatoes into homemade tomato sauce to use over pasta or rice or even on pizza. If I make more sauce than my family can eat, I freeze the extra sauce in glass containers. It keeps its fresh flavor for up to three months in my freezer.

Fresh basil is essential for this sauce. If you don’t have basil growing in your garden, pick some up at your farmer’s market. It grows all summer and well into the fall in my region. Fresh garlic is heavenly during the summer. I sometimes use summer squash and eggplant to round out the sauce. You can add cauliflower too, if you wish.

Vegan cheese makes the sauce thicker, and gives it extra flavor. The sauce will be blended, so picky eaters won’t be able to discern the ingredients. Most kids like tomatoes, and the sauce is red, so disclose the tomatoes, and leave it at that.

Springhouse Turtle Eats

Print Recipe

Summer Fresh Tomato Sauce

By Springhouse Turtle – Serves: 4-6

Prep Time: 30 minutes – Cooking Time: 15 minutes – Total Time: 45 minutes

Fresh tomatoes, basil, garlic and fresh herbs create a memorable summer sauce for pasta or rice.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup shredded fresh basil leaves (or other fresh herbs such as oregano, rosemary, sage or thyme)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup diced or shredded vegan cheese
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar

Instructions

1

In a large saucepan, heat the oils over medium-high heat until they shimmer.

2

Add the onion, and sauté until translucent.

3

Add the garlic and fresh herbs, and sauté for one minute.

4

Stir in the chopped tomatoes, and cook for an additional minute.

5

Stir in the vegan cheese, salt, pepper and coconut sugar.

6

Raise the heat, cover, and bring the sauce to a boil, about 3-5 minutes.

7

Turn down the heat, and cook at a low simmer for 12 minutes.

8

Blend the sauce in batches in a blender, or use an immersion blender to blend it in the pan.

9

Serve over pasta or rice, garnished with fresh herbs.

10

Extra sauce can be stored in sealed containers in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Loads of fresh, ripe tomatoes are ready to be made into fresh pasta sauce.

Chop the tomatoes. Don’t throw away the seeds! The sauce will be blended, so the seeds will disappear.

Sauté the onions and garlic with fresh herbs.

Stir in the tomatoes.

Stir in the chopped vegan cheese.

Use an immersion blender (or transfer the sauce to a regular blender) to create a smooth sauce. Set aside a bowl or two before blending if you’d like more texture, then stir it in after you’re done blending the sauce.

Springhouse Turtle Eats