100% Homemade

I make a sensational summer tomato sauce, if I do say so, myself! Based on a recipe from the now-defunct pizzeria Gaffiato, it calls for a combination of chopped tomatoes and cherry tomatoes, along with shaved shallots and garlic sauteed in a big glug of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt, some fresh basil, and rosemary. Although I make it year-round with canned and store-bought tomatoes, not surprisingly, it is at its peak of zesty perfection when prepared with fresh, sun-ripened ingredients. 

Over the years, I've intentionally cultivated more cherry tomatoes in our garden than we can put in a salad or eat out of hand for just this recipe, and it's a perfect way to use the imperfect tomatoes I can never bear to throw away. I grow my own basil and rosemary as well, so I always liked to consider this sauce as homemade as possible. 

Even so, it occurred to me last summer that I could be growing my own shallots and garlic, too, and this sauce was my motivation to plant those alliums last fall. Regular readers may recall that I have had a bumper crop of both shallots and garlic, and they are at last stored nicely, waiting to be used. And now? The tomatoes have finally come in, and this morning I was able to make my first batch of sauce all homegrown vegetables and herbs.

Perhaps I'm biased, but the results were amazing, and ever so satisfying to this kitchen-gardener. Tangy, balanced, fresh, and sweet, the sauce is like summer on a spoon.

So now? I'm wondering where to put that olive tree and seawater evaporator.