Roasted Tomato Sauce with a kick

This year was so hot….  Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but seriously…  this summer was SO hot!  And hot summers mean TOMATOES. 

The 80* weather started sometime in May and hasn’t stopped since.  We have gotten two rain storm days, which were, of course, on Cyan’s birthday party day and on my friends 25th wedding anniversary party.  But aside from bad timing, we have had an epically long summer.  What does that mean to the homesteaders?   Tomatoes coming out of our ears!  Off my 14 plants I have gotten over 70 lbs of tomatoes and they are still coming.  This gives me a ton of extra work but it also gives me some room to play with my yearly recipes and test out new ideas and flavors.  This one has just become a new favorite in the making.

This sauce is best made with a variety of tomatoes. I plant a variety of heirloom tomatoes such as Amish Paste, Sun Gold, Purple Plum, and Old German specifically for this sauce now.  I love the flavors that the cherry tomatoes bring to the sauce!  And with the jalapeno it has a depth of flavor that is amazing.  So fresh and delicious. Enjoy!

Jalapeno Roasted Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes
• Garlic
• Jalapeno peppers
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Pepper
• Italian Seasoning

First, cut all tomatoes at least in half. Even the cherries. If you don't do this, they 'pop' later in cooking and give your sauce a watery consistency. Fill a baking pan with the cut tomatoes about a layer and a half deep. Crush a head of garlic into each baking dish. I know it sounds like a lot, but the roasting process takes a lot of the bite out of the garlic and it adds an amazing flavor.  Add a sliced jalapeno to each pan.  Whole thing, seeds and all.  If you are really daring, add two.   

Drizzle with olive oil, 2 Tbs or more of balsamic vinegar*, sea salt, and pepper.

Mix well and put in a 400* oven for 40 minutes. About a half hour into the roasting you will smell the tomato sauce. When your timer goes off, your sauce should look like this:

I only did one full batch (7 pints) of the jalapeno sauce and three 9X13 pans of tomatoes were the perfect amount.  I added the sauce into a large stock pot when it was finished, turned on the burner (med) and stick blended the whole thing until it was a beautiful consistency.  During this step, add your Italian Seasoning and any salt and pepper you might need to your taste and blend it right in.  Be sure to taste it so you know if it needs more salt and pepper. 

This is what mine looks like when I am done:

At this point, it is the perfect place to let the sauce cool, and put it into bags for the freezer if you so desire. Make sure it is cooled completely before adding it to the freezer bags. It will separate if you freeze it warm.

You can also waterbath can this recipe for 35 minutes for pints and quarts:

*The vinegar raises the PH enough for waterbath canning.  If you are canning this sauce this step is essential.  Do not skip it!

 

Here I sautéed a bunch of mushrooms, onions, fresh tomatoes, and basil then tossed in a bunch of zucchini noodles and added this delicious sauce.  Over the top I put small dollops of full fat ricotta cheese.  It may have been the most incredible dinner I have ever had and 90% of it came out of my garden!  Talk about feeling successful at homesteading.  YUM!