Provencal Tomato Sauce

This sauce is a nice, light version of typical tomato sauce. It also has the ability to make my dreams of tripping through fields of lavender whilst looking chic and well put together seem slightly more attainable. Ahhh c’est la vie.

1 can whole peeled roma or plum tomatoes
Six sprigs of fresh thyme (remove leaves from the stems)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano
1/3 of large chopped red onion (about 1 cup)
Olive oil
Whole clove garlic
Salt
Teaspoon sugar

Sauté onion on medium heat until translucent. Add entire contents of the can of tomatoes, plus the herbs. Lower heat to less than a simmer, and let cook for about an hour. The tomatoes should disintegrate, or fall apart with prodding from a spoon. Taste and if too acidic, add sugar. Then add salt to taste.

TOMATO SAUCE

This makes a very thick sauce. I use it instead of catsup. Double the recipe and freeze some for later.

INGREDIENTS:
1 clove garlic minced
1 medium onion diced (approximately 1 cup)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 celery stalk chopped
1 carrot shredded
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
4 bay leaves
1 medium apple cored (the best is an apple that has been sitting around for a bit)
Salt and pepper to taste

Pour the olive oil into a large saucepan. Add the minced garlic and diced onion. Saute until golden on a medium low heat. Then add the chopped celery and shredded carrot. Saute until tender. Add the crushed tomatoes, bay leaves, and cored apple. Simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Remove the apple and bay leaves. This makes a rustic style sauce, for a smooth sauce let it cool and then put it through a blender or food processor in small batches.

NOTES: Add more tomato for a thinner sauce. I found a company that produces canned crushed tomatoes where the ingredients are only organic roma tomatoes. This brand tends to have a bitter flavor, but the cored apple will add a lot of sweetness (a “secret” from a friend’s Italian grandmother). I use a slotted spoon to remove the bay leaves and apple, if you don’t want to go on a fishing expedition wrap them in a cheese cloth instead.