Seasonal Pantry: Make savory sauce with red ripe tomatoes - Santa Rosa Press Democrat

Ah, tomatoes! The season is upon us, as a quick perusal of social media confirms. People are posting photos of their daily garden harvests and of the dishes, especially tomato salads, they’re making. Friends praise their first tomato sandwich of the season and the scent of bacon is in the air, as we indulge in BLTs for lunch, dinner, sometimes breakfast and even midnight snacks.

In a normal year — not that there’s been one for a while — I typically make tomato sauces in the fall, when tomatoes are dead ripe and a frost could end the season at any moment. But now, as we continue to stay home with a lot more time on our hands, I’m eager to get started.

To select tomatoes for sauces, you want them to be heavy in your hand, with dense flesh and small seed pockets. For years, the best tomatoes for sauce were Romas and similar sauce tomatoes, but they do not always have the finest flavors. Heirloom beefsteak tomatoes, such as those grown by The Patch, are ideal.

The Patch sells at several local farmers markets and operates a farm stand in Sonoma (280 Second St., open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Because we can’t currently choose our own produce at farmers markets, it’s best to tell the vendor what you are wanting to make and ask for recommendations. Their recommendations are always spot on. The Patch has a big selection of heirlooms, along with several hybrids, including Shady Lady, Early Girl and red beefsteak.

The Patch is typically the first local farm in the county to offer tomatoes, and that was the case this year, too. Now, more farmers are offering them. In next week’s Seasonal Pantry, I’ll focus on cherry tomatoes, how to best enjoy them and what to do when there are so many in your garden you can’t keep up.

This sauce is delicious with a broad flat noodle, such as fettuccine and pappardelle. It is also excellent with handmade cheese raviolis or classic potato gnocchi. It’s so easy and quick to make there’s no need to make more than you need for a single meal.

Summer Tomato-Butter Sauce

Makes about 2 cups, enough for 4 to 6 servings

6 tablespoons butter

2 large shallots, minced

Kosher salt

2 pounds meaty tomatoes, either beefsteak or Roma, peeled, cored and seeded

Minced fresh herbs of choice or a hard cheese for grating

Heat the butter in a heavy skillet. When it is melted, add the shallots and sauté gently until they are soft and fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season lightly with salt.

While the shallots cook, chop the tomatoes. Once the shallots have softened, add the tomatoes to the pan, reduce the heat to very low and cook for about 20 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly. Taste and correct for salt.

Use the sauce as is or pass it through a food mill for a less rustic, more velvety sauce.

Finish any dish with minced herbs or grated cheese.

The sauce is best enjoyed right away but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

This sauce can be used in a wide range of dishes. A generous dollop or two will spice up vegetable soups and add depth to gazpacho. It can be used with enchiladas, tamales and chile rellenos and makes a delicious base for salsa. It is also outstanding spooned over grilled eggplant topped with sliced mozzarella fresca. It can be used to make shakshuka, too.

Mexican Style-Summer Tomato Sauce

Makes about 1 quart

5 pounds large red ripe tomatoes

3 poblanos

2 or 3 serranos

5 large garlic cloves

1 yellow onion, trimmed, peeled and cut in quarters

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Kosher salt

Black pepper in a mill

Put the tomatoes, chiles, garlic and onion in a large roasting pan, drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over them and toss so the vegetables are coated with oil. Roast the vegetables in a 375-degree oven for about 25 minutes, remove from the oven and let cool until easy to handle.

Stem and seed the poblanos and serranos, remove the skin from the garlic and place the chilies and garlic in a food processor. Pulse several times to break them up. Pass the roasted onions and tomatoes through a food mill and discard the tomato seeds.

Heat the remaining oil in a heavy skillet. When it is quite hot, carefully pour in the tomato-onion purée all at once, followed by the garlic mixture. Season with salt and stir the purée well, scraping up any sauce that sticks to the bottom of the pan.

Add the oregano and cinnamon, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will be very thick and rich. Remove it from the heat and cool slightly. Season with several turns of black pepper, taste and correct for salt.

This sauce will keep, refrigerated, for up to a week and can be frozen for up to 6 months.

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Seasonal Pantry: Make savory sauce with red ripe tomatoes - Santa Rosa Press Democrat
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