Gutentag meine schöne Lush Scouts. I have a recipe for you today that is both simple and extremely versatile: Tomato Sauce (street name: Marinara). It can be paired with noodles, slathered on pizza, mixed with quinoa, used as a dipping sauce (why helloooo
mozz sticks) and so so much more. It has very few ingredients and takes very little work (no peeling involved, Scout's honor), making it a perfect Lush Scout recipe. This also means that you know exactly what is in your sauce and there are no crazy dyes, chemicals you can't pronounce, or preservatives; I assume this means healthy! Besides, this bag of tomatoes cost only 1 dollar more than a can of sauce, so it doesn't get any better!
You can throw it in the freezer or eat it up right away. If you know things about canning you could do that too, but I have a healthy fear of Botulism, so I won't attempt that without the proper know-how.
To get crackin' on this delicious sauce, you'll need the following:
Tomatoes (whatever kind you like, and however much you think you'll use)
Garlic (I prefer fresh, but powder would work too)
Italian Seasoning (or a mix of your fave spices Italiano, or some fresh oregano and basil)
Salt
Pepper
Paprika (optional, but I put it in everything)
Carrots (the secret ingredient!)
Olive Oil (I forgot this in the above photo. My bad)
Start by peeling your garlic. I probably used about ten cloves (half a head) but this can be adjusted to taste. There's no need to mince the garlic, go ahead and roast them whole.
Next you will need to half and core your tomatoes. I just slice in half and cut a 'v' shape in the middle to remove the core.
Put the tomatoes inside-up on a pan, strategically place the garlic cloves, and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle liberally with pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning. Also add a dash of salt to taste.
Then, into the oven at 400ºF for one hour. Your tomatoes will look all squishy and may even start to blister, but never fear, that's totally normal.
While the tomatoes are roasting away, cut up those carrots and sauté in Olive oil.
The carrots add some extra nutrients to the sauce, as well as some needed sugar. Additionally, they help it keep its bright orange/red colour.
After your hour is up, scrape the tomatoes, juice, garlic, and carrots into a pot.
Here is the messy part: blending the ingredients. I used a hand blender, which as you can tell from the spatter in the above photo, may have gotten a little out of hand. You could just as easily use a food processor or regular blender though.
And then, VOILA!, you have sauce. If it isn't thick enough for your tastes, just put that pot on a burner and simmer it down. This is also the fun part where you get to taste and season. Add as much spices as you feel like. Follow your heart!
I then put mine in, no joke, an old spaghetti sauce jar. I used half of the sauce on dinner, and put the rest into the freezer. When I decide I need it, I'll just put it in the fridge before leaving for work in the morning and let it thaw right out.
That's all there is to it. You can make a lot or just one jar, like yours truly. Add more carrots if you prefer sweet sauce, or maybe experiment with different types of tomatoes. In the summer I'll definitely be playing around with some fresh basil and I'm also thinking of giving some lemon verbena a go. Let me know if you find any incredible combos!
then ride it with my surfboard,
Cait
