Katherine's Roasted Tomato Sauce

We’ve published a few variations on tomato sauce in the past, but this is hands down the best way to make this iconic sauce.  The secret is in roasting with the lid off, which allows the top layer to brown.

About 10# tomatoes, any type (heirloom, roma, beefsteak)
1-2 bunches basil, leaves only and left whole
1 head garlic
½ bunch thyme
½ bunch oregano
1-2 hot chilis or 1-2 tablespoon hot red chili flakes, depending on your heat tolerance
2 glugs extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon salt, or to taste
 

1. Roughly chop tomatoes, skins on (this is where a lot of their nutrition resides!), cores removed, and add to your largest sauce pot, at least 2 gallon capacity.

2. Toss in basil leaves.  Peel and chop garlic into slices or rough pieces.  We like large, visible garlic chunks, but if you want to mellow out the garlic flavor, chop it more finely.  Add to pot.  Strip thyme and oregano leaves from stems and add to pot whole.  Finely chop chili and add to pot, or sprinkle in chili flakes.

3. Pour olive oil over all ingredients, then sprinkle on salt and stir with a large wooden spoon.

4. Place in a cold oven turned to 400F.  Roast uncovered for up to 4 hours, stirring periodically.  Stir after the first hour when it starts boiling, then don’t stir again until the top layer has browned a little bit.  Stir this in, brown the new top layer, and repeat until you’ve reached your desired consistency and moisture.  The more juicy your tomatoes, the longer you will roast for a thicker sauce.

Garlic and Parmesan Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

This recipe comes from Kitchen Swagger.com.  Locavore it!  Replace parmesan with local goat cheese, omit pepper and salt, and either omit olive oil and use only local butter or replace with local sunflower oil

1 pint fingerling potatoes
2 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon minced herbs like rosemary, parsley, thyme or sage
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425F.  Cut potatoes in half lengthwise.  
2.  In a 12" cast iron skillet, combine all the ingredients, but only half the parmesan at this time. Stir and mix until potatoes are well coated.  
3.  Place skillet in the oven and bake until the potatoes are well browned and slightly crispy, 25-30 minutes.  Let cool for a few minutes, top with the remaining cheese, then serve.