Recipe: Fresh Tomato Sauce (freeze ahead)

FRESH TOMATO SAUCE

3 pounds ripe tomatoes, rinsed and quartered
3 tablespoons torn basil leaves (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram), optional
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Put the tomatoes in a heavy pan with the herb, if using. Cover and cook over medium-high heat. The tomatoes should yield their juices right away, but keep an eye on the pan to make sure that they do. Add a few tablespoons of water if necessary. You don't want to scorch the tomatoes.

Once the tomatoes have broken down, after 15 to 25 minutes, pass them through a food mill.

If you want the final sauce to be thicker, return it to the pot and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until it's as thick as you want. Depending on the juiciness of the tomatoes, this could take 20 minutes or as long as an hour.

When done, season with salt and pepper to taste and stir in the oil.

TO FREEZE:
Ladle the sauce into freezer bags in 1 or 2 cup portions. Lay the bags on the freezer floor until they harden. This makes slim packages that are easy to store upright.

TO USE THE SAUCE:
When you reheat the sauce, you can season it with crushed garlic, pepper flakes, shallots, or whatever herb goes with the dish you're making.

Makes about 2 1/2 cups
Source: Local Flavors by Deborah Madison