Simple Tomato Sauce

  1. Peel, seed, and chop the fresh tomatoes, or seed and chop the canned tomatoes; reserve the juice.
  2. Peel and chop the garlic.
  3. Put the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and add the garlic.
  4. When the garlic begins to sizzle and release its fragrance, add the tomatoes and juice, bay leaves, a big pinch of chile flakes, and salt.
  5. Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes or so, until thickened.
  6. Remove the bay leaves and taste for seasoning; add more salt and chile flakes to taste.
  7. (If the tomatoes are too acidic and not as sweet as you would like, add a bit of sugar.)
  8. For a smooth sauce, pass through a food mill.
  9. All through the cold months, we wait for the real tomatoes of summer (bland out-of-season tomatoes dont count), until we find ourselves inundated with varieties of all kinds from late July until the fall.
  10. The pleasant challenge becomes how to use them allin sauces, salads, gratins, sandwiches, soups, pastas.
  11. Peeling and seeding tomatoes is a summertime ritual.
  12. Heat a pot of water to boiling and have ready a bowl of icy cold water.
  13. Drop the tomatoes, a few at a time, into the boiling water for 15 to 30 seconds, just long enough to loosen their skins.
  14. Very ripe tomatoes take less time, thick-skinned, firm tomatoes take longer.
  15. Scoop the tomatoes out of the boiling water and plunge them into the ice water to prevent the outer layer of flesh from cooking and softening.
  16. Remove from the water, and use a paring knife to cut out the cores at the stem end and slip off the skins.
  17. To seed the tomatoes, cut them in half horizontally, use your fingers to loosen the seeds in their cavities, and squeeze the halves to coax the seeds out.
  18. Work over a bowl with a strainer to catch the delicious juice.
  19. Once peeled and seeded, the tomatoes are ready to be stuffed and baked, diced or chopped for any number of preparations, or sliced and dressed for a salad.

tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, bay leaves, chile flakes, salt

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/simple-tomato-sauce-387360 (may not work)

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