Summer bounty

This is the best time of year for tomatoes and so many more fruits and veggies. You want to devour them all up as soon as possible, for you know that their season is fleeting and before long they will be gone for another year. So the next best thing is freezing and canning.

That is exactly what I did when I made a fresh tomato and basil sauce. I enjoyed it fresh that evening and froze the remainder to enjoy later in the fall.

Tomato Basil Sauce

2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 a medium yellow onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
pinch red chili flakes
2 bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp red wine
2 lbs of fresh tomatoes, chopped
pinch of sugar
handful of fresh basil, chopped ( or chiffonade, if you want to get fancy)

Saute the onion, garlic and chili in the olive oil in a large pot. Add the red wine and reduce to half. Add the chopped tomatoes ( and a couple of ounces of water if you think it needs it to get going) and the sugar, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Simmer on medium until the tomatoes have softened and it resembles a sauce ( about 30 min). Add the the basil and simmer for an additional few minutes. Serve over pasta. Or let it cool to room temperature and put in a freezer safe container.