Roast tomato sauce

Photo by Simon Lambert.
Photo by Simon Lambert.

It's time to top up the bottling as tomatoes are in their prime for making sauces and relishes. This dependable sauce pulls me through any day of the week!

 

Roast tomato sauce
Makes about 500-750ml

Ingredients

1.5kg-2kg ripe tomatoes
5 garlic cloves
few sprigs basil and thyme
2 Tbsp olive oil
sea salt and cracked pepper
pinch of sugar (optional)
tomato stalk (optional)

 

Method

Heat oven 180degC.

Wash the tomatoes briefly in cold water and pat dry.

Cut any larger tomatoes in half and place all the tomatoes in a roasting dish, cut side up, sprinkle over the salt, pepper and sugar (if using).

Drizzle over the oil and scatter over the herbs. If using your own tomatoes I like to push a small piece of the stalk into the sauce for extra flavour (optional).

Roast the tomatoes for at least an hour or until they are pulpy, soft and giving off a rich tomato aroma.

Remove and allow to cool.

When safe enough to handle, spoon the mixture into a sieve or pass through a mouli (the idea is to pass the flesh and juice through and discard the seeds and skin). You will end up with a large bowl of tomato pulp. If you find your sauce is extra juicy put it into a pot and reduce over a moderate heat until it reaches required the consistency.

The sauce is now ready. It will last in the fridge for up to a week and freezes and bottles very well.

 


• Alison Lambert is one of the demonstrators at the Otago Farmers Market in Dunedin on Saturday mornings.

 

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