Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce
 

So this recipe is from the SETTFest...

[URL]http://www.settfest.com/2009/06/oven-roasted-tomato-sauce/[/URL]

And I made two batches this weekend. And I learned an important lesson...

*NEVER ADD SUGAR* if you are cooking with heirloom tomatoes.

The first batch is a bit on the sweet side. The second batch is heavenly.

We added about a tablespoon of sugar to the first batch against six and a half pounds of peeled and cored tomatoes.

Then we went to Williams Sonoma and bought the 50 dollar OXO food mill.

The second batch had about 5 pounds of tomatoes but both batches yielded about two and a half pounds of sauce. And the manual food mill saved about an hour of prep.

Here are the before and after pix.

First batch before:

[IMG]http://lh4.ggpht.com/_KYFhSFDlqtk/SmSNJASLewI/AAAAAAAAEJk/j_DCie9-VR4/s720/DSCN1460.JPG[/IMG]

[IMG]http://lh3.ggpht.com/_KYFhSFDlqtk/SmSNUBDCYEI/AAAAAAAAEJs/FaaPTFyLOvA/s720/DSCN1462.JPG[/IMG]

First batch midway:

[IMG]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_KYFhSFDlqtk/SmSNU6vNXMI/AAAAAAAAEJ4/tZRfL69-wr0/s720/DSCN1465.JPG[/IMG]

Second batch before:

[IMG]http://lh6.ggpht.com/_KYFhSFDlqtk/SmSNVcmEw2I/AAAAAAAAEKA/19lQCaC0hag/s720/DSCN1467.JPG[/IMG]

Second batch after:

[IMG]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_KYFhSFDlqtk/SmSNWvdGCsI/AAAAAAAAEKY/jiV-JwNAJMo/s720/DSCN1473.JPG[/IMG]

[IMG]http://lh5.ggpht.com/_KYFhSFDlqtk/SmSNXEMUiYI/AAAAAAAAEKg/wWl8Z6IKpgo/s720/DSCN1475.JPG[/IMG]

Then through the food mill using the medium blade. No pix of that yet.

Looks great, I would love to have a taste. :-)

On a side note, what did you think of the food mill, I have held off on ordering one for a while but I know I need to bite the bullet. Would you recommend the XOXO version?

[quote=Cherokee_Motley;138367]Looks great, I would love to have a taste. :-)

On a side note, what did you think of the food mill, I have held off on ordering one for a while but I know I need to bite the bullet. Would you recommend the XOXO version?[/quote]

Hi C_M,

Come to Tomatopalooza and you can certainly have a taste, since we are bringing some to sample from both batches.

I gotta say that, for the money, the OXO does the job, and is easy to use and clean. I can bring it to Tomatopalooza this weekend so folks can see it. So, yes, I would recommend it. I can't spend two hundred and fifty dollars for the Spremy at this time. Maybe after the Harley is paid off... :lol:

We got our OXO Food Mill at Williams Sonoma for fifty dollars. My wife has commented that it is a uni-tasker but I think that we will find other uses for it, such as Gazpacho.

-Howard

Looks awesome...can't wait to try this recipe. Still waiting for ripe tomatoes, though.

It appears you peeled the tomatoes in batch #1 and you did not peel the tomatoes in batch #2. Was there any difference in flavor?

I just picked up a tomato strainer. This website has some good deals (I am in no way affiliated with the store): [URL]http://www.creativecookware.com/tomato_strainer3.htm[/URL]

[quote=recruiterg;138425]Looks awesome...can't wait to try this recipe. Still waiting for ripe tomatoes, though.

It appears you peeled the tomatoes in batch #1 and you did not peel the tomatoes in batch #2. Was there any difference in flavor?

I just picked up a tomato strainer. This website has some good deals (I am in no way affiliated with the store): [URL]http://www.creativecookware.com/tomato_strainer3.htm[/URL][/quote]

For batch 1 we did peel and core the tomatoes after a quick plunge into boiling water and then an ice bath. Phew! What a lot of work!

For batch 2 we simply pulled off the stems and quartered the fruit. Quick and easy-peasy.

For both batches we added chopped onion, fresh basil, Italian spice blend, EVOO, and lots of garlic. We found out that the fresh basil must be mixed in or it will burn up in the hot oven, so it is important to stir right away, or cover with foil for the first 30 to 45 minutes.

Now the flavor was different but not because of the process. It was the fact that we (mistakenly) added about a tablespoon of sugar to the first batch, which made it very sweet. The second batch was much, much better.

Both batches went through the OXO food mill. I started with the fine blade but quickly switched to the medium blade.

The yield was nearly identical (2 1/2 pounds) per batch, even though the first batch had about a pound more fruit. I attribute this to the process. I think the loss occurred during the peeling process.

The OXO food mill makes peeling a coring unnecessary.

Happy cooking!

Yum!

I can't wait to try with my heirlooms if the squirrels leave me any.

reply
 

I have done a few batches of this recipie. It has made everything much easier to just roast then run it throught the mill. I have used it for pasta sauce and it got rave reviews from the family! My daughter was bragging at work that "my mom makes spegettii from scratch all the way down to growing the tomaotes"
Kat

Howard, How long did you keep yours in the oven?

Thanks,

Greg

Fingers crossed that our maters will be ready in 2 to 3 weeks for making this - got the basil, garlic & peppers - looks DELICIOUS!
Are you freezing or canning?

How long in the oven
 

[quote=gssgarden;139071]Howard, How long did you keep yours in the oven?

Thanks,

Greg[/quote]

The total time varied from batch to batch. We did the first batch at 450 degrees but the second and third at 400. It has generally taken about 4 hours total cook time for 5 to 8 pounds of tomatoes. The trick, I think, is to stir every 45 minutes or so and watch the consistency.

I judge the sauce to be done when I scape a spoon across the bottom of the pan and the sauce has thickened to the point that it does not run back onto the bare spot. The firs hour or two there is so much liquid that this is impossible.

The third batch, which I just did today, was even better than the last. I increased the garlic and added some salt, dehydrated onion bits, a dash of cayenne pepper and some garlic and onion powder. I also used a potato masher which probably hastened the breakdown of the ingredients. I also tasted it every 45 minutes or so when I took it out of the oven to stir.

When it is done, I remove it from the heat, let it cool and then run it through the food mill.

Let me know if I can answer any ther questions you may have.

-Howard

Any ideas for those of us without a food mil??

No food mill...
 

[quote=Bdobs;139161]Any ideas for those of us without a food mil??[/quote]

From the original post at [URL]http://www.settfest.com/2009/06/oven-roasted-tomato-sauce/[/URL]:

[quote]Note: If you don’t have a food mill, you can still make this sauce. I would recommend blanching and peeling the tomatoes first and removing the cores, though. Peppers would need to be diced - or use powder. Use a hand-held potato masher or food processor to break the roasted tomatoes up a bit. Finished product will be more chunky than what you would get by using a food mill, but is still delicious.
[/quote]Hope this helps!

-Howard

That it does! Thanks

You can also run it thru a strainer/sieve. I made several batches of spaghetti sauce that way and that's why I bought a food mill this year ;)

[quote=Bdobs;139161]Any ideas for those of us without a food mil??[/quote]

As an alternative to blanching, peeling, and coring, you can slice the tomatoes in half (paste type) or quarters (others) lengthwise and arrange them skin up. After the sauce has cooled, the skins will slip off easily by just pinching them and shaking lightly. Then put the batch through a food processor. I find this less time consuming, especially when doing a large batch.

I just bought a Victorio 250 food mill, so this year should be a breeze. :)

TomNJ

That looks so good.

Well, I need to work on a few things but it went well.

Here's a pic before, and after..

[ATTACH]10456[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]10457[/ATTACH]



Ok, here's what I did wrong....

Too small of a pan. Maybe I should get one of those disposable roasting pans? I ruined wifey's brownie pan. It was so bad that even she said, just throw it out.

Too many Jalapeno's for that size pan. BUT It made a GREAT Fra Diavolo sauce.

Cooked it WAY to long. Three hours and a half and all I got was this bowl. Really doesn't get much easier to make great sauce.


I'll try it later in the week the correct way.

Greg

that is one great looking sauce, you're making my mouth water. i wish i knew this in past years when i used to give away so many tomatoes that i couldn't eat. i have made sauce on top of the stove but never cared for it. this sauce looks amazing! i doubt i'll have enough tomatoes this year with LB effecting my plants but i have been able to have some for sandwiches. if not this year then next year.

tom

[quote=gssgarden;139805]Well, I need to work on a few things but it went well.

Here's a pic before, and after..

[ATTACH]10456[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]10457[/ATTACH]



Ok, here's what I did wrong....

Too small of a pan. Maybe I should get one of those disposable roasting pans? I ruined wifey's brownie pan. It was so bad that even she said, just throw it out.

Too many Jalapeno's for that size pan. BUT It made a GREAT Fra Diavolo sauce.

Cooked it WAY to long. Three hours and a half and all I got was this bowl. Really doesn't get much easier to make great sauce.


I'll try it later in the week the correct way.

Greg[/quote]

Greg,

Did you weigh the tomatoes going in or the sauce coming out?

The sauce looks very concentrated and I am sure it is delicious. Intertesting that you mention Fra Diavolo sauce, as I was thinking about that myself just this past week and I have not had it in decades. I agree that the oven roasted sauce would make a great Fra Diavolo. I think I would have it with shrimp as I have in the past. I remember that the oven roasted sauce thickens quickly toward the end. I'm sure you are getting tuned in and getting the hang of it now. I am also confident that each batch you do will improve similar to my experience. Try tastking it after the first hour and a half or so and you can season it and fine tune it to your liking.

I would have to look at my pictures again, but I seem to recall that I did not fill the lasagna pan more than two thirds or so.

Please let us know how the subsequent batches work out for you.

Regards,
Howard

Greg, Both versions look delicious -- the "before" one looks like a great tomato salad!

Maybe a glass baking dish would work better? I'm planning to try some later in the week.

I just made this recipe over the weekend. The final product is very intense and sweet. Absolutely outstanding!!!

One thought would be to add some red wine to counterbalance the sweetness of the tomatoes. Thoughts?

:roll: EASY-BAKE oven roasted tomato sauce is what I'll be having, with 2009's dismal harvest.

:roll: :roll: With a 40 watt light bulb at that.

T:(rmat:(

That sauce was put over Linguini and Shrimp!! YUUUUMMM!!

Howard, yes, it was very thick. I really didn't think about pan size. Next time I'll use one of the cheap roaster pans that I can toss away after.

I'd stay away from glass pans. Maybe too much clean-up? I was happy to throw away the last one. It was old anyway.

Red Wine? I don't see why not. In fact, I would probably try it ina little side bowl first to see.

Just loved the ease of this. It also means longer shelf life for my jars of sauce. Sometimes I don't want to waste them.


Greg

[quote=gssgarden;141814]

Red Wine? I don't see why not. In fact, I would probably try it ina little side bowl first to see.

Greg[/quote]

Greg, I have tried this last year with whatever wine I was drinking at that time, and it was yummy.

After tasting something similar with VODKA, I cannot wait to try!

some good info here. bringing it back to the top

Indeed, thanks, Jeff.

I may be tempted to add thyme to the roasting pan and keep the basil for adding at the last minute, as I prefer it fresh and bright. Looks excellent.

[QUOTE=kilroyscarnival;345119]Indeed, thanks, Jeff.

I may be tempted to add thyme to the roasting pan and keep the basil for adding at the last minute, as I prefer it fresh and bright. Looks excellent.[/QUOTE]

absolutely!!

I am so looking forward to trying this recipe. This is going to be the year of canned tomato sauce, dried tomatoes and frozen sauces!

Now I really need to go out and seed some basil in the garden tomorrow!

Freezing the tomatoes first will make the skins slip off and also help to remove a lot of the water. When they thaw, its easy to squeeze the seeds out prior to putting them in the pan.
An immersion blender can do a quick job at pureeing the sauce if you don't have a food mill.