Zesty Garlicky Basil Tomato Sauce

         

Ingredient:

8 cups of boiling water

8 cups ice cold water

6 pounds fresh tomatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

7 cloves garlic

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 cup basil leaves

Step One:

Bring 8 cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot. Once the water in the pot boils, reduce the heat to a simmer. In a large bowl add cups of ice cold water.  Place a third of he tomatoes to the pot for 2 minutes. Remove the tomatoes from the hot water and place them into the cold water.  
 
The skin of the tomatoes will slightly separate from their flesh and can then be easily be slipped away. Remove the tomatoes’ skins and place them in a bowl. Repeat for the remaining tomatoes.

Step Two:

Slice the skinned tomatoes into wedges by eights.   Remove the seeds from each wedge.  Discard the seeds and membrane. Place the flesh into a clean bowl. Complete this process for all tomatoes.  Peel and dice garlic.

Step Three:

Dry the pot. Add the oil to the pot and heat over medium heat. Add tomatoes to the pot and cook for five minutes.  Mash the tomatoes, and then stir in the garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

Step Four:

Dice the basil. Add a cup of the sauce to a small bowl. Add basil to the bowl and blend using an immersion blender. As an alternative the process can be undertaken with a blender.  Combine the mixture into the tomatoes sauce.  Bring the sauce to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer, uncovered for 2 hours.  Stir the sauce occasionally.

Barbecue Sauce

Barbecue Sauce is a hallmark of summer cooking, an always on-hand dipping sauce, and an ingredient in various recipes. There are many types of barbecue sauces such as the tomato based (recipe below), vinegar based, and asian style.  The tomato based sauce recipe below is prepared with a homemade tomato ketchup base. A lot of recipes online, and in cookbooks actually have commercial tomato ketchup or catsup as an ingredient. 

The Ingredients 

1 can (28-oz) crushed tomatoes

2/3 cups white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup white distilled vinegar

1 table spoon Zatarain's Creole Seasoning 

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/16 teaspoon ground clove

1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 shot of whiskey

1/4 teaspoon Chili power

1/4 teaspoon ground Cayenne 

1/4 teaspoon garlic power

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/32 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon allspice

Step One: Homemade Tomato Ketchup

Pour the crushed tomatoes in a  4 quart sauce pan. Add both sugars and the white vinegar. Heat the pan using medium heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Add the Zatarain's Creole Seasoning.

Step Two:  BBQ Sauce

Add the other ingredients one by one stirring after each addition.
Bring the mixture to a boil stirring occasionally, and then reduce to a simmer. You may notice  a foamy substance appears on the surface. Remove this by gently spooning  the foam to a bowl to discard.  This foam will otherwise cloud the sauce. This process of clarifying is done with stocks, broths, jams, jellies, candy among other things.  Continue a vigorous simmer for five minutes. 

Step Three: Reduction 

Simmer the sauce uncovered for 1 1/2 hours or longer stirring occasionally. 

Or

Place the sauce in a slow cooker set to the low or warm setting, stir occasionally. Let it reduce for 3 1/2 hours or longer stirring occasionally.