Super Sauce

[Determinator]

tomato sauce to die for! and pretty darn easy to boot.

place as many fresh tomatoes as possible on an oven safe tray and bake on a very slow 250 degree oven for about 7 hours. the tomatoes will be much reduced and browned.

this oven-drying process significantly alters and concentrates the tomato flavor.

let cool then scrape into a blender with just enough water to make a thick sauce.
at this point you have a very potent and amazing tomato base for a myriad of delights.
I chose to do the following:

heated 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil, added a crapload of garlic and about 2 tablespoons of fresh rosemary leaves. let that pop just a bit and threw it in the blender along with a good handfull of Greek olives and a good splash of the olive brine. Salt and pepper to taste...that's it. very simple and blazing with flavor.

[slightlysuze]

Sounds wonderful Det.......must be chock full of lycopene or whatever it is tomatoes have!

Suze x

[trixietrack]

sounds great. I bet it takes the acidity from the tomatoes and brings the sweet out. mm.
roasted garlic and peppers would add a nice smoky flavor to the sauce. oh my

[MyOwnWoman]

I saw Alice Waters do this in a documentary about her, and it made every cell in my body salivate. By the way, I highly recommend seeing this documentary. Alice Waters is an incredible woman who has changed (for the good) the way many Americans eat. When I remember the name of the film I"ll let you know. It was made by PBS I think.
It will surely inspire the foodie in anyone!

[Determinator]

cool MOW....looking forward to it.

[Prest4time]

What type of tomatoes do you use? I love to do this very thing by cutting cherry tomatoes in half, tossing generously in olive oil and about a half cup of chopped basil and then roasting as you say, but for about five hours. I let them cool, store in air tight container and serve them on top of all sorts of things... mainly fish. Or, I just eat them like candy right out of the container...

But for a sauce I would think a larger tomato? We have so many variations here its amazing, and they are always in season.

[CaptJBean]

put a potato in to take out the acid?

[Determinator]

no potato...the secret to a low acid sauce is refrigeration. let it sit in the fridge overnight and the next day.... heaven!

Prest, great question! I usually use the 'best looking' tomato that's in season whatever it might be and they MUST be very ripe if possible. even over-ripe is fine. this last time I used the Campari tomatoes that are kind of small. and it cost a mortgage payment! those little suckers are expensive here..yet so intense.

[Determinator]

BTW Prest that cherrie tomato idea sounds fab!

[Prest4time]

Thanks D...

The cherry tomatoes are so yum done that way. I learned it at a cooking class and they were used in a pasta recipe with filet mignon and homemade pasta... it was to die for. I've never made the pasta since, but those roasted cherry tomatoes are staple.

Oh, and I love the campari tomatoes... they can get expensive here too. I would like to grow them next summer.