Yes, I am but a servant to your wishes. A slave to your recipe requests. Except I never oblige with an actual recipe, but more of a generalized, no doubt irritatingly vague method that requires an awful lot of guesswork on your part. Fun!
So! Yesterday, Haley wrote the following: Can you tell us how you make tomato sauce? When I make it I always use canned tomatoes, but whenever I try to use fresh ones, the sauce isn't very rich; it is more fruity. Since I know you use tomatoes from your garden, do you have any ideas?
Why yes, Haley--I can indeed tell you how I make tomato sauce. Although first I must state a couple of things.
Ahem.
Thing 1: You don't want your fresh tomato sauce to taste like you made it with commercially canned tomatoes, do you? Because it won't. And that's a good thing, in my opinion. If you want it to taste like you made it with commercially canned tomatoes, well then, you should use commercially canned tomatoes.
Thing 2: I don't know exactly what you mean by "rich" versus "fruity." Tomatoes, by themselves, aren't a rich food; they are a fruit, and an acidic one at that. However, fresh tomatoes tend to taste a lot less acidic than commercially canned ones, so my first thought is that you probably need to add some acid to your sauce. Red wine is good if you have some; vinegar works too. Add just a teaspoon or so to your sauce, then taste it. You might need to add more, depending on how much sauce you're making and how acidic you want it. The vinegar or wine should be a complementary flavor, though, not a dominant one.
My second thought is that standard commercially canned tomatoes have a lot of salt. A LOT. So you need to salt your fresh tomato sauce a lot more than you probably think necessary. That helps with the flavor quite a bit.
As to my method . . . well. That changes every time I make any kind of tomato sauce. Although they do all have some standard ingredients and steps.
1) Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add diced onion and cook until soft. Then add lots of minced garlic.
2) Cut up your tomatoes. You will need a lot more than you think you will--they break down a lot. Some people peel them first (30 seconds in boiling water makes the skins come right off). I never do, but then, I grow pretty thin-skinned varieties. Except for this one this year that's either a Jet Star or a Primetime that has really thick skin that's kind of nasty and I will not grow again. Yuck.
ANYWAY.
How small you chop them depends on how chunky you want your sauce. Also, the variety of tomato you use will affect the texture. If you're using a standard slicing tomato, it will totally break down, leading to a much smoother and thinner sauce. A paste variety will retain its shape and texture a lot more. I think a mixture of the two is good.
3) Add salt (LOTS OF SALT), pepper, the wine or vinegar, and some herbs--oregano, marjoram, basil, etc. Although, if you're using fresh basil, it's better to add some of it later, so it doesn't get cooked to death. You could also add a little bit of hot pepper, if that's your thing. It's not mine.
4) Simmer until it's as thick as you like. Stir in fresh basil at the end.
There's SO MUCH variation to this, though. I hardly ever make a straight tomato sauce like this. Usually, I either make meat sauce (browning the meat first, then adding the onion to it, and proceeding with the above steps) or meatballs (browning the meatballs, then taking them out, proceeding with the recipe, and adding them back for the simmering part). You can add heavy cream at the end, or lots of Parmesan cheese (I usually add this), or even cottage cheese or shredded mozzarella. Meat and dairy are really what make tomato sauce rich. On its own, it's not.
When I used to use commercially canned tomatoes (it's been a LONG TIME, though), I added a little sugar. I don't do this with my homegrown tomatoes. But you can try a little sugar to see if it amps up the flavor a bit. Or add a little diced or shredded carrot along with the onion and garlic for a little sweetness.
I don't normally have mushrooms in the house, but if I did, I would add them. I love mushrooms in tomato sauce. Spinach is also good.
So. Yeah. That's all I got: A collection of random thoughts and vague things I might (or might not!) do in my own kitchen.
Somehow, I do not think The Food Network is going to be calling anytime soon.
Thanks so much! I will give all these tips a try and get back to you. I think maybe I haven't been using paste tomatoes. What I mean by it not being rich is that is just doesn't have much substance and ends up tasting like chopped tomatoes, which are excellent, don't get me wrong, but not quite the flavor I am looking for in my spaghetti, you know. I will try adding red wine and using different tomatoes, perhaps.
ReplyDeleteMaybe Food Network won't be calling, but they kind of suck anyway. They're all about the convenience now. Take a frozen pie crust and pour in a can of this cherry pie filling. Voila! Cherry Pie! they say. I say no. If you want actual cooking info, you must go with PBS on Saturday afternoon or Food Network's sister channel Cooking Channel, where they, um, actually cook sometimes instead of making cakes shaped like Dora the explorer. Hey, do I sound bitter about this?
Two things.
ReplyDeleteFirst: While I like chunky sauce as much as the next guy, sometimes I like to go at it with the immersion blender. If you've got a good ratio of acid to fat (olive oil, meat or dairy) they'll emulsify and turn surprisingly thick.
Second: You're right about the Food Network. They don't care how it tastes as long as it looks good happening. You're the exact opposite. Kristin: 1; FN: 0
Word verification: bolya -- What North Dakotans do for fun on a Tuesday night. (That's league night, don't ya know.)
Haley: Ah, it's a texture issue? Then yes, blending it would help. As will using paste tomatoes (the ones in the store are often Romas, or they could be labeled plum tomatoes, too--they're the ones that are more oval than round in shape) and cooking them down for awhile.
ReplyDeleteShe might try cooking it longer too, that thickens and brings out all the good flavors.
ReplyDeleteNow for the recipe (non-recipe), maybe those are reciepts, for friar tuck's belgian fries? You can do it ! ;) Beth
word verification 'batis'
flying winged creatures that the good baby witches use....
little batis
a good pinch of sugar - works every time :)
ReplyDeleteTell us how A. liked the Great New York State Fair! What is the butter sculpture this year?
ReplyDelete(Also, thanks for the tips on homemade sauce. Apartment living doesn't allow me to grow my own tomatoes, so I've made WalMart rich just buying tomatoes in various canned forms.)
I really appreciate all these tips. And your recipe hints are helpful; I intend to try your salsa method soon.
ReplyDeleteYou suggeste a few weeks ago that zucchini quesadillas are good, and I am currently eating them for dinner for the second time, so you are pretty good as a cooking influence.
When I make tomato sauce or soup from fresh tomatoes, it is always sweeter than commercial canned or jarred tomato sauce. Sometimes I add a small can of tomato paste to tone down the sweetness. I never thought of adding bigger quantities of salt, maybe because of my husband's high blood pressure.
ReplyDeleteThe herbs are excellent, too. I love having fresh basil available. How did I cook before I started gardening? No, don't answer that. It's embarrassing.