Last year, one of my students gave us a new genius idea to ripen tomatoes. It was time to cut down the vines to make room for the winter garden, and she instructed us to hang the vines, fruits and all, on the fence that rings the school garden. There, they ripened slowly in the sun, and (extremely surprisingly) did not seem to attract any wildlife; in fact, we had tomatoes available through October. So, this year’s class did the same thing.
The last two days, the tomatoes have been ripening like crazy with a burst of late-season heat. So I picked two buckets-full to bring home and process. I decided to make a batch of roasted tomato sauce, and a batch of salsa (we have a lot of peppers in the home garden right now). This afternoon, I worked on the sauce. I know I’ve written about this sauce here before, but I have a lot of new subscribers and it’s worth sharing again. It’s extremely simple and delicious, and can be used on pasta, on fish or meat, as a base for shakshuka (just add some spicy peppers), or as a topping for grilled bread. I also like it on homemade pizza.
No exact amounts needed, just use what you have on hand. I make this with plenty of olive oil and sea salt, using tomatoes, garlic, and basil from the garden. Preheat your oven to 350-375 degrees (you want these to slow-roast for a longer time). Slick your sheet pan with olive oil. Roughly chop the tomatoes and put on the sheet pan. Chiffonade your basil (or just chop it, whatever) and sprinkle it on top of the tomatoes. Mince plenty of garlic and add that. Drizzle more olive oil on top of everything and salt generously. I tend to roast for about an hour, but you’ll want to check frequently - you don’t want the garlic to burn or the tomatoes to scorch - your mileage may vary. It’s a good idea to stir the mixture a couple of times during the baking process. You want your sauce to be well-roasted but still saucy and jammy. We tend to like it just like this, but you can blend it using an immersion blender if you want a smooth sauce. I always make enough to eat the night that I make it, but with plenty of extra to freeze in quart jars for deep winter.