Homemade Tomato Sauce and a Summer Evening

Herbs

 

Homemade tomato sauce is what you do after you have eaten enough tomatoes to make ketchup go out of business. Annie always added hand-picked then dried Marjolaine to her homemade tomato sauce. She spoiled me by giving me a jar of her own dried Marjolaine each summer. Now I am on my own which means I am probably eating weeds. Honestly, I could eat it by the spoonful on a salad or mozzarella. It is deliciously sweet.
French Husband is the one who makes the tomato sauce. He follows Annie's recipe. I boil pasta, sliced buffalo mozzarella, pour wine, turn on the music and put my feet on the table (wishful thinking about the feet part… usually I prepare the jars.)

 

 

 

Fortunately, we have a farmer in our village who sells his homegrown vegetables. We are regular customers. French Husband has even gone out and helped him pick. Though I don't think that is advantageous to the farmer. French Husband eats more than he picks. I have seen him: Knife in his back pocket, a baguette and a bottle of wine under his arm, a chunk of cheese under his hat, garlic in his breast pocket- tomatoes on the vine, the cicadas singing, the blue provencal sky as a blanket.

He knows a good thing about summertime.

 

 

Handful of herbs

 

 

In a large pan saute a couple of yellow onions and cloves of garlic in olive oil.

Add a ton of chopped tomatoes, some salt, a handful of Marjolaine and some white wine.

 

 

Homemade tomato sauce

 

Slowly cook for half a century.

Go out and enjoy the day, let the tomato sauce reduce, then blend to the consistency you like.

 

Homemade-tomato-sauce

 

Cook some pasta, drain it, then pour in the homemade tomato sauce. Wrap it up in a blanket, carry it to the garden, spread out the blanket, put down some plates, take out the knife in your back pocket, tear off a chunk of baguette, uncork a bottle of red wine, grate some cheese, take off your hat, listen to the cicadas under the evening sky, while you twirl some pasta around your fork. 

 

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Comments

11 responses to “Homemade Tomato Sauce and a Summer Evening”

  1. Wonderful post as always!

  2. Kathie B

    During last weekend’s 4-day heatwave we didn’t run the stove at all. Now, more hot temps are heading our way, so long-cooked sauce will have to wait until early autumn, I fear.

  3. I can smell it simmering on the stove…
    Ali

  4. I love all your recipes and your zest for life.
    I enjoy all you share.
    Love Jeanne

  5. Now you must tell us about the wonderful herb recipe.

  6. Ann of Avondale

    Wonderful to have fresh, organic ingredients for the tomatoes and marjoram (marjolaine). This is a classic Tomato Sauce recipe which we make but we usually have Italian rustic bread on the side. So good on any day.

  7. Diogenes

    Sounds like heaven!

  8. Martina

    Yum! Do you hot pack or freeze jars of the sauce? What is Marjolaine

  9. Do you seed or skin the tomatoes first?

  10. Is Marjoram the same as Marjolaine? If so do you include the flowers too? I so want to make this. I love new recipes for my dried herbs.

  11. What lovely images you have created in my mind’s eye. The tomato sauce sounds so good.

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