In the south, we wait patiently for “tomato season”. It is always the high point of summer and usually begins in early July. I hunt tirelessly for the best farmer with the best tomatoes and then I always buy way more than I can actually use. I pair them with every single meal until I have sores in my mouth from all the acid or I am swollen from the excess salt I douse them with.
I use to grow my own tomatoes, because that is what southern women do. As Ouiser Boudreaux eloquently put it in Steel Magnolias, “I am an old southern woman, I am suppose to wear funny clothes, ugly hats and dig in the dirt. I did not make the rules.” I have grown enough tomatoes to know their true value and respect the hard work that goes into process. However these days, I dig in herbs and flowers and leave the tomatoes to the farmers. There is a local farmers’ market just down the street and I rush there every Saturday morning to buy German Queens. They are only available for approximately 3-4 weeks in a good growing season. I grew up on these tomatoes and I can promise you they touch my soul every time I eat one.
This week, I have a good friend that brought me bags of squash and tomatoes. I put the squash in the freezer and the tomatoes have been staring at me from the kitchen counter for a few days. We are leaving for vacation this week, and I knew these tomatoes will ruin if I don’t do something with them. So I basically threw all the things on my counter- tomatoes, garlic, onions and threw them in a roasting pan. I went out to the patio and clipped fresh basil, thyme and oregano and added them as well.
What transpired was a wonderful sauce. My husband loves angel hair pasta- he calls them skinny noodles, so I served it on his favorite and topped with fresh parmesan cheese. Please don’t buy the already grated, powdery stuff with the green shaker top, save that for the pizza delivery-if you insist on using it. I purchase wedges of parmesan and throw chunks in a tiny, food processor I keep on my counter.
This sauces freezes very well. I always throw leftover sauce in a freezer bag. It has saved my life many times!
Wine- For a very nice dinner, I would pair this with Twomey Pinot Noir or Merlot. This is one of our favorite wines. It is difficult to find and we always vow to drink every bottle we can get our hands on. Twomey is from the Silver Oak Family and this vineyard was one of the highlights of our trip to Napa a few years ago. It is on the higher end of price, so we save these bottles for “nice dinners”. For a weeknight, simple dinner, you cannot go wrong with Kirkland Pinot Noir, I know, this is a shocker. I have recently tried several of the Kirkland labels and I have been pleasantly surprised. For the price, they cannot be beat. So if you are on a budget, pay a visit to Costco and try their store brand wine- especially the Malbec.
Roasted Tomato Sauce
This is a simple sauce with amazing depth of flavor. Perfect for when you have an abundance of tomatoes on hand or are just looking for a burst of flavor to pair with pasta.
Ingredients
tomatoes
garlic cloves
onion
olive oil
salt and crushed black pepper
Directions
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Notice I did not list amounts of any of the ingredients. You are on your own for this one. You cannot mess this up! Cut tomatoes into wedges, slice the onion, be generous with the olive oil. Roast for 40 minutes at least.
Make this recipe your own. I added fresh basil, thyme and oregano from my patio. If you like a sweeter sauce, add a carrot or two. For heat, add red pepper flakes. Experiment with different herbs and spices.
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