Tomato harvesting season
We are in the middle of tomato harvesting season, and there is no better time to make a big batch of this hearty, tasty, easy tomato sauce. It’s a perfect dish to have in your repertoire because of the many variations you can make with this one base, sure to please everyone around the table. The addition of red lentils to the sauce gives it a valuable boost of protein.
I am only on my second season trying to grow tomatoes on my own. First year I bought a plant that grew and grew and grew. It got really tall, but that was it. I enjoyed its green leaves and the knowledge that I had helped it grow, but there were no signs of any tomatoes.
This year I bought two plants and they seem to like each other, growing entwined, and I have even seen some yellow flowers, but no tomatoes.
Year three will be my year!
When there are no tomatoes to harvest
Good thing I have canned crushed tomatoes on hand to use for this tomato sauce. This sauce will come together quick and easy and mostly sorts itself out on the stove. One pot is all that is needed, simplifying the dishes at the end.
It freezes exceptionally well and you can keep it in your freezer for months. When thawing, either take it out the night before and let it thaw in the fridge. Or if you forget, it works just as well to heat it straight from the freezer, in a pan on low heat and stir occasionally.
If you prefer to versify your sauce, there are a lot of different things you can add. Do this a the same time as you add the crushed tomatoes or during the thawing process when reheating on low.
Baked feta cheese
Last night, I made a tasty vegetarian dish with feta cheese and black olives, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with oregano.
Spreading the tomato sauce in the bottom of an oven safe glass pan and placed a brick of feta cheese on top. Cutting the black olives in half I spread them over the tomato sauce and the feta cheese, drizzling everything with olive oil and sprinkling with oregano before placing the pan in the middle of the oven at 200 degrees Celsius (390F) for 20 minutes.
Served on a bed of couscous and a green salad.
I used about half of the tomato sauce and freezing the rest to have it ready for the busy weeks I have coming up.
Other tomato sauce variations to try
Make it spicy with the addition of 1 jar (200 grams) of salsa.
Even more vegetables with a 500 grams bag of fresh spinach and two shredded carrots in my even more vegetables Healthy version of the same recipe.
Missing the meat? Add 400 grams mince beef or vegetarian mince to turn it in to a Bolognese.
The best adaptable basic tomato sauce
Ingredients
- 1 large onion chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 cans 400g crushed tomatoes
- 100 ml red lentils
- 200 ml water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp sugar
- A pinch of white pepper
Instructions
- Chop one large onion and mince the garlic.
- Add oil to a deep pot and toss in the onions, fry until soft, which will take about 5 minutes, add in the garlic and cook for another minute.
- Add the tomatoes, lentils and water, give a good stir.
- Then add salt, oregano and sugar.
- Bring to boil and let simmer under lid 15-20 minutes.
- Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed.
- Serve with pasta or rice