THERE I WAS, walking up Broadway after being at the local fruit cart (eggplant for $1.00), West Side Market for some stuff, including lots of meat, the library, and then the Columbia Green Market. After examining many of the stalls, I came upon one which was offering very ripe tomatoes for $1.00 a pound. I decided to buy 10 pounds and he gave me two complete boxes (probably 20-25 pounds worth) for $10.00!!! Lesson to be learned here: go to the Green Market late in the day!
So, what does one do with 25 pounds of tomatoes? These tomatoes in particular were screaming to be cooked and preserved and that's exactly what I did.
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| POMODORI!! |
The labor becomes somewhat intensive here. To begin one must score each tomato - a criss-cross motion on each tomato will do. Place about 1/2 dozen in boiling water until the skin begins to peel away naturally. Remove the tomatoes from the pot and place in cold water until they are cool enough to touch and peel away the skins of each tomato and place the tomatoes in a large bowl. Continue the same process until all the tomatoes have been peeled.
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| PEELED POMODORI |
Take one white onion and one red onion and chop coarsely. Chop 5 or 6 cloves of garlic and saute the onions and garlic in olive oil in a very large pot.
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| CONSERVA |
You will notice that the bowl full of tomatoes will have accumulated a rather large amount of juice. Pour all of the tomatoes and the juice into the pot with the onion and garlic and bring the contents to a boil. Add about 1 tbs. kosher salt and 14 turns of a black pepper grinder and 2 tbs. chopped fresh thyme. After the tomatoes have come to a boil, turn the flame down to a simmer and add 15-20 leaves of fresh basil. Cook at the simmer partially covered, stirring occasionally for about 5-6 hours.
I let the sauce cool and then pour the contents into sterilized jars and preserve them. You should have enough tomato sauce to last you until Christmas!
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| CONSERVA DI POMODORO |
BUON APPETITO!
