Fresh tomato sauce

With tomato season in full swing I have been wanting to try to make my own tomato sauce from scratch. If you don't have time to make it entirely from scratch you can substitute canned diced tomatoes & tomato sauce for the fresh tomato.

Ingredients:

20 ripe tomatoes

6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 onions, chopped

8 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 C. chopped fresh basil

1/2 tsp. italian seasoning

1/2 C. red wine

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. The tomatoes have to be peeled, seeded and chopped. To make peeling easier the tomatoes should be put into a pot of boiling water for about 2 minutes or until the skin splits. Use a slotted spoon to remove the tomatoes and place them into an ice water bath to cool.

2. Peel the tomatoes, cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Finely chop tomatoes with a sharp knife or use a food processor to blend.

3. Heat oil in a pot, add onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is transluscent. Add tomatoes, basil, italian seasoning, red wine and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil.

4. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally and adjusting seasoning as desired. (Alternatively, the sauce could be cooked in a crock pot)

5. Serve over cooked pasta. Extra sauce can be frozen in ziplock bags.