Tomato Sauce: Liquid summer sun

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

After months of nurturing -- from the placement of seeds to the careful watering of plants to the fending off of hungry birds and diseases -- it all comes down to this: the sauce. Growing the tomatoes is the most challenging part. Making them into sauce is as easy as pie. (Pizza pie, anyone?)

I begin the process of making tomato sauce by roasting our San Marzano tomatoes. Included are pieces of our homegrown garlic, salt and pepper, and a few drizzles of olive oil.

Once the tomatoes are soft from their baking, I press them gently through the food mill. Their skins and seeds give way, and I'm left with a brilliant red nectar.

To that I add a handful of fragrant, freshly picked herbs: thyme, oregano, and basil. The sauce simmers and thickens and fills my every breath with the essence of summer days.

I ladle the sauce into containers, where it will freeze until summoned to adorn future meals. I find myself stooped over the pot just then, slurping every last drop to its lip-smacking end. A long journey of tomato growing concludes with this soul-filling satisfaction: liquid summer sun at the bottom of a pot. I smile at the thought of having garden-touched meals to warm cooler days ahead.