Friday, April 09, 2010

Pasta sauce

Finally we have some red tomatoes, it's taken long enough and it's right at the end of the season too. The plants are covered in tomatoes and they are slowly going red but there are so many green ones, I can't see that they will all ripen before there is a risk of frost. We will have to watch the forecasts and will have to strip the plants in case they get ruined. There are still a few cherry tomatoes on the plants but they are so bushy I couldn't really get at them. There are a lot of green ones in the garage laid out of benchtops ripening, I have been given a recipe for green tomato chutney and we have apples now ready to pick, so I'm not done chutneying just yet.

On Thursday evening we were having spaghetti bolognese for dinner so I thought that I'd just make a huge pan of tomato/pasta sauce, take out what I needed and freeze the rest in batches.
Ok so I'll tell you what I used but I didn't measure the quantities I just kinda grabbed stuff, chopped and bunged it in the pan! Roughly I used:
Ingredients:
Onions, lots of, chopped
4 peppers/capsicums, chopped
Garlic, lots of, roughly chopped
4 large rashers bacon, chopped
mushrooms, lots, chopped
About half the basket of tomatoes, peeled and whizzed(large bowl full)
Salt & Pepper
approx dessertspoon Celery seeds
good pinch of cinnamon
some stock, I used a couple of chicken oxo cubes

If I make some more I'll add grated carrot and fresh celery.

Put everything into a pan (all of the list up to the tomatoes)
Cook slowly until everything starts to soften, add the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients, simmer for 30-40mins. Then I whizzed it with my braun whizzy thing( I must find out what this is called) but don't blend too much (hand blender! ah ha!) leave some texture in it.
When it had cooled I ladled it into some plastic containers, the larger containers took about three ladles full which. I will use in Bolognese or chilli con carne meals. The smaller ones, two ladles, will most likely be used when we have ravioli etc.
Allow to cool completely, pop on the lids and stick 'em in the freezer.
Three ladles of sauce were saved for the spag bol, just fry up some mince, add the sauce cook for about 30 mins, boil some spaghetti and Robert's yer mothers brother!

11 comments:

  1. Anonymous2:32 am

    Looks very tasty ,especially all your own work, i like spahgetti bolognese, dad says when we come over his will have to be smaller portions, that one looks rather alot for him ha ha ha xxxxlove mum and dadxxxx

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  2. Anonymous5:46 am

    Yummo!!!

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  3. Tell dad that's my little dinner plate and a close up shot! ;)
    Very yummo Mel! :D

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  4. Hi Sue,
    Your sauce looks delicious. We have our seedlings ready to be planted this weekend. I hope we get enough so the kids can make ketchup.
    Have a great weekend!

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  5. Hope you have a better season than we did, I've hear its been the same all over NZ :(

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  6. What a lovely blog...and your sauce looks amazing... I stumbled here quite by accident, but I have had a great time reading...

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  7. Thanks for reading Katharine glad you had fun :D

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  8. Anonymous4:40 pm

    Hi there, maybe you could try a green tomato relish with your green tomatoes. You are doing great with your lifestyle block, I hope one day we will be as productive as you've been:)

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  9. Funny you should say that Anon, I have a large pan on the stove as I type :D Also to come, pickled green tomatoes and now I've been and bought a 10kg bag of pickling onions! It's all go I tell ya! :D

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  10. Looks yummy! I'm going to watch your blog now for recipes that I can use later this summer when (hopefully!) I have piles and piles of tomatoes.

    I don't comment all the time, but I do love seeing what you whip up with all the things you grow. :)

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  11. Hi Heather,keep watching, there's more to come yet! I'm exhausted. Handy tip..make sure you have a food processor, I cut and chopped it all by hand and it's taken soooo long! Today I shall be mostly pickling onions!

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