Tomatoes!

I am like a proud momma about my 4 little tomato plants this year. This was my first time to have tomatoes in the ground, and let me tell you, they did fantastic! I am in awe of how many tomatoes just 4 plants can produce in a good season. We have had all the tomatoes we could eat, I have made enough tomato sauce to provide us with 3 meals, and I have frozen a gallon bag of peeled and seeded tomatoes for later use.

Making my own tomato sauce from home grown tomatoes has been one the most exiting things I've done on our mini homestead yet. I wasn't sure how to make home made sauce, so I had to turn to my trusty internet to find a good recipe. After finding several recipes that sounded pretty tasty, I decided that simple would be best. Here is the recipe I followed.

Tomato sauce:

About 15 large tomatoes peeled, seeded, and chopped (I didn't really seed mine)

3 Tbs chopped fresh basil (which I also grew...YAY)

3 large garlic cloves chopped

1 large onion chopped

3 Tbs olive oil

½ cup red wine

salt and pepper

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium/low heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic, stir a few seconds, then add add wine, tomatoes, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook uncovered for 2 hours stirring regularly to prevent sticking. Remove from heat and let cool. If a smooth sauce is desire, blend in blender or food processor. (I used a hand blender)

                                  Some freshly picked tomatoes and jalapenos 

                                                        Fresh ingredients

                                                      Finished sauce

    I added ground beef to some of the sauce for dinner that evening.  It was delicious!