Yesterday I shared last year’s recipe for Sweet Pizza Sauce with y’all. After reviewing the recipe I realized that most people don’t just happen to have 32-cups of garden fresh tomatoes just laying around their kitchen for no reason at all. Hell, most people are lucky to even know what a garden fresh tomato tastes like nowadays, considering half of the “farmer’s markets” out there are just reselling customers produce they bought in bulk from a food distributer. That’s right folks. Chances are, those gorgeous tomatoes you purchased on your way to the beach, aren’t even from this country.
The best way to find out if produce at the stand you are shopping at is “real,” is to talk to the person running the stand. If they are a true farmer, they should be more than happy to talk to you about their farm and their produce, as well as answer any questions you have. Use your eyes as well. I know that looks can sometimes be deceiving, but in this case, they usually won’t be. Your salesperson, if they are indeed a farmer, should have the hands of a farmer. Cuts, bruises, dirt; those are what you want to see. The same thing goes for the produce you are purchasing. There is no such thing as a perfect tomato. Odd shapes, dull surfaces, and some dirt are what you are looking for. As long as the tomatoes are free of cuts, mold, and black spots you are on the right path.
So let me just say right now, if you don’t have a summer garden, then your best bet is to use canned tomato juice for this recipe. The sauce will still taste incredibly fresh, and you will save yourself a bundle of cash. Garden fresh tomatoes are pricey, especially considering how many of them can grow on one plant alone. Chances are you have a neighbor who is more than willing to share some of their crop with you, but asking for 32-cups of tomatoes is once again a little on the rude side. That’s a whole lotta tomatoes. That being said, I have no more tomatoes to give away this summer; I am once again hoarding them for my own use. After taking my last batch of pizza sauce to the beach earlier this month, I have come to realize that I need to start stockpiling for the winter. Don’t even bother coming to my front door and begging for 32-cups of tomatoes, because it’s not gonna happen; I really don’t like you that much. If you’re really lucky, I may make you a pizza however, but I can’t make any guarantees.
Ingredients:
- 4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Pound Carrots, Peeled & Grated
- 1 Sweet Yellow Onion, Peeled & Grated
- 1/2 Pound Thinly Sliced Prosciutto, Finely Chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 6 Cloves Garlic, Finely Crushed
- 10 Cups Tomato Juice
- 1 Cup Basil, Roughly Chopped
Directions:
- Place the olive oil, carrots, onion, prosciutto, and black pepper in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed sauce pot over medium-high heat; sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic; sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato juice and basil and increase heat to high.
- Once the sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the sauce becomes the consistency of pizza sauce; stir at least every 30 minutes.
Suggestions:
- Make your life a whole lot easier by using a food processor to grate the carrots and onion.
- This recipe will yield enough pizza sauce for at least eight pizzas.
- You can freeze this sauce for future use in a glass airtight container for up to 2 months, or in a refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Improvements:
- Use homemade tomato juice.
- Add fresh oregano to the sauce.
Ingredients:
- 4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 Pound Carrots, Peeled & Grated
- 1 Sweet Yellow Onion, Peeled & Grated
- 1/2 Pound Thinly Sliced Prosciutto, Finely Chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 6 Cloves Garlic, Finely Crushed
- 10 Cups Tomato Juice
- 1 Cup Basil, Roughly Chopped
Directions:
- Place the olive oil, carrots, onion, prosciutto, and black pepper in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed sauce pot over medium-high heat; sauté for 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic; sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the tomato juice and basil and increase heat to high.
- Once the sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 to 3 hours, or until the sauce becomes the consistency of pizza sauce; stir at least every 30 minutes.
Don’t let this recipe slip away. How often do you find a recipe intriguing, yet forget where to find it when you finally get the hankering to make it? Instead of digging through old posts or wandering aimlessly around on the internet, why not Pin this recipe to Pinterest where you can find it when you eventually need it? Simply Pin the image above and you’ll have it when that time comes.
