Garden Tomato Basil Salad

I’m baaaack!!! Long time, no post. I’ve been busy harvesting an abundance of tomatoes from my garden the past few weeks. Phew! Four tomato plants yielded a ton of fruit! Yippy! Now I get to figure out what to do with this horde of super sweet, juicy tomatoes before they go bad.  Yeah, canning is always an option, but who has that kind of time? Not me, that’s for sure.

One way to use up the numerous tomatoes we’ve harvested is to make tomato sandwiches. My husband has been taking those each day in his lunch. Another way is to make a fantastic tomato salad like this one! Couldn’t be easier. Chop your tomatoes in whatever size or shape you like, add some minced garlic, fresh herbs, and let it chill for a bit while you go and harvest more veggies.

Cheese? Sure. If you have fresh mozzarella, feta, or farmer’s cheese on hand, cube it and throw it in. I didn’t have any, so I left it out. Oh well.  Here’s the recipe. I’m headed back out to see what else I can pick from my veggie garden. I’m still working on researching vegan cheese options, so bear with me. If you know of any that could be added, please let me know.

You need:
tomatoes: any quantity, any color, any size – chopped to desired size
handful of fresh basil, chopped
couple sprigs of fresh parsley, chopped
1 clove garlic, finely minced
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tbs grated Parmesan cheese (leave out for vegan)
Just for fun – throw in a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes and oregano!
salt & pepper to taste

Here’s how:
Throw tomatoes, basil, parsley, and garlic in a medium bowl.

In a small jar (or bowl) whisk together olive oil, vinegar, Parmesan cheese, salt & pepper. Pour over tomatoes and herbs. Toss together. Chill in fridge for a few hours.

Make Your Own Homemade Italian Red Sauce

Being home during the summer not only means that I have all the time in the world to do whatever I please, but it also means —  I’m poor. No worries though. I’ve got a few tools under my belt to help me out during the summer. One huge help is my slow-simmered Italian red sauce.  This recipe is a lifesaver! One pot of this sauce enough sauce to use for a number of pasta dishes. It’s versatile and can be used in any recipe, not just pasta. Alone, this sauce is great for vegan dishes, but it can also be easily converted into a meaty sauce – whatever the purpose, this sauce does not disappoint! Use it in soups, homemade pizzas, sandwiches, hors d’oeuvres, casseroles, stews…the list goes on and on. Don’t get me wrong – I make this sauce all year round, not just in the summer.  Don’t have time for slow-simmering? I’ve discovered this sauce comes out fantastically in the SLOW COOKER!!  This sauce saves me money and stretches enough to last for a few different meals.

So… I’m Italian. Yes, it’s true. We Italian gals (and guys) make some amazing homemade sauce. This sauce recipe has been in my dad’s family for decades, so there’s that ancestral heritage thing going on, too. This sauce truly withstands the test of time. Relatives who immigrated to America from Italy have been making this sauce since they got here (and probably even before they got here). It’s sheer perfection, and the good news is it can be made with inexpensive pantry items we all have on hand. It also freezes beautifully, and this recipe makes enough that you will have plenty left over to freeze (for up to 3 months). How beautiful is that?

(Remember – seasonings are “to taste” and measurements are approximate. Adjust as desired.)
2 6 oz. cans organic tomato paste
1 28 oz. can organic tomato puree
1 tbs regular olive oil (not extra virgin)
2 tbs dried basil
1 tbs garlic salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbs Kosher salt
1/2 tbs dried oregano

In a very large sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add both cans of tomato paste, and stir constantly with a wooden spoon. You are essentially frying the tomato paste, so continue stirring until olive oil and paste are combined and the mixture begins to stick to the bottom of the pan without burning. SAVE THE TOMATO PASTE CANS!!

Add tomato puree to paste mixture. SAVE PUREE CAN!! Stir mixture to combine. Add black pepper and stir. Fill the saved cans with water and add to the puree/paste mixture. Stir to combine. Add basil and garlic salt. Raise heat to high and bring to a boil. (You can recycle the cans now 😉

Add Kosher salt and stir. Reduce heat to lowest setting (You want just the slightest hint of a simmer; mixture should not really appear to be simmering at all.) Let simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours. Stir occasionally (about every 15-20 minutes). Add oregano for last 30 minutes of simmering. Remove from heat and serve over pasta or use in your favorite Italian recipe. Transfer leftover sauce to freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. This sauce freezes beautifully.

*Taste the sauce (the most fun part of making this sauce) as you go and adjust seasoning as desired.

SLOW COOKER INSTRUCTIONS:  First, fry tomato paste in olive oil in a medium skillet until soft. Combine all other ingredients in crock of slow cooker.  Cook on high 2-4 hours or low for 4-6 hours.