Garden Marinara

Ingredients:
2 easter egg baskets of homegrown heirloom beefsteak tomatoes
2 small freshly picked mildly hot peppers
2 medium freshly picked green bell peppers
1 large yellow onion
the rest of the yellow onion from last week, less the rubbery parts
3 large cloves garlic
1 generous squirt of basil from a tube
1 generous squirt of oregano from a tube
1 Bay leaf
Granulated garlic
Emeril's Bayou Blast
Salt
Pepper
Italian Red Wine Vinegar
EVOO
Ice
Water

Tools:
Vacuum sealer
Food processor
Knife
Stock pot
Heat proof spatula
Bowl
Tongs
baby spoon

Prepping the Tomatoes:
1 day to 1 week prior:
Peel and seed the tomatoes, vacuum seal and freeze them
Cut off the stems and any blemishes
Bring 2-3 inches of water to boil in a stock pot
Fill a bowl with ice and water
Submerge tomatoes in water for 10-30 seconds, then place them in the ice water
Peel off the skin
cut in half, across the rib pattern (like you would for a sandwich slice)
using the baby spoon, remove the gelatinous glop and the seeds
Place upside down on a drain to let any residual glop drain out
Place in vacuum seal bag, vacuum seal, and freeze
This allows you to keep picking the tomatoes until you have enough for the marinara.

Cooking day:

Thaw out your tomatoes

Sweating the vegetables
While you're heating up your pan:
Clean the peppers, removing the ribs and top.
Cut the onion and green pepper into chunks and put them in the blender, peppers at the bottom
Pulse until you have a nice dice, not too small
Put a covering of EVOO in your pan
Pick any larger pieces out of the processor and cut them with a knife
Place in stock pot
Salt and pepper
Let them sweat for 5 minutes while you chop up the garlic
Add the garlic and turn up the heat a smidge, to medium high, for another 5- 10 minutes, until all the onion juice is reduced
Turn up the heat to high for about 30 seconds, and pull back some of the mixture to expose the bottom of the pan
Dump about a tablespoon or two of Red Wine vinegar onto the exposed areas
Mix well, let it cook off for about 20-30 seconds

Making the Sauce
Cut a small hole in the top of the vacuum seal bag(s) and drain out the water
Put about 1/3 of your tomatoes straight into the pot
Put the rest in the food processor and puree them
Add them to the pot
Squeeze in some basil and oregano
Add some granulated garlic
Add some Bayou blast
Throw in a Bay leaf
Bring it up to a simmer, then reduce heat and let it reduce until it's the consistency you want.
Taste along the way and add herbs/spices/salt/pepper as needed.

3 dinner size portions