Heirloom tomatoes are only usually available in August and early September on the East coast. They are best served in a summer salad with just a little olive oil and sea salt or with sliced mozzarella and basil. But here we cooked them down to make a rich delicious sauce served over pasta or julienne zucchini.
For the tomatoes -
- 8 pounds of heirloom tomatoes.
Boil a large pot of water. Score each tomato with an X. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. When water is hot, drop in tomatoes for about 2 minutes. Immediately transfer to an ice bath for about one minute. Peel the skins and remove the core. Chop into quarters.
For the sauce -
- Three TBSP Olive oil
- 8 basil leaves gently cut into ribbons
- 6 cloves of garlic, peeled and run through a garlic press
- Two TBSP of tomato paste
- 1 tsp of sugar
- salt and pepper to taste
Add the olive oil to a medium saucepan. Add the garlic. When golden add the chopped tomatoes. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer for about one hour or a little more. Add salt. and sugar. Every 15 minutes or so, press the softened tomatoes with the back of a large spoon. Five minutes before the sauce is ready, add the chopped basil and pepper.