Roasted Tomato Marinara Sauce

Ingredients

6 pounds fresh Roma tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon fine salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Italian Seasoning or other spices
Roasted or sautéed vegetables

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425° F.
Cut Roma tomatoes in half lengthwise. Place in a large roasting pan or 2 smaller baking dishes. Scatter garlic halves on top. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Toss with a large spoon to coat.
Place in preheated oven for 60-70 minutes. Remove from oven and stir well half way through cooking to ensure that nothing gets too dark. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Remove tomatoes from the pan using a slotted spoon, leaving most of the liquid behind. Blend in a food processor or with an immersion blender to create a sauce with your desired chunkiness level.
Portion into 2 cup freezer bags, seal and smooth flat. Place flat in freezer.
To use, thaw in microwave enough to break into smaller chunks or add frozen directly to a skillet and warm slowly over low heat to continue thawing and warm sauce. Add additional seasonings such as Italian Seasoning and sauteed or roasted vegetables for a heartier dish.

Our homemade roasted tomato marinara sauce showcases ingredients fresh from our own garden. The tomatoes featured were harvested from our compact patio garden, which consists of two raised beds measuring 2 feet by 4 feet each. This season, we cultivated two Roma tomato plants, a jalapeno plant, and a sweet banana pepper plant. These versatile plants are surprisingly easy to grow, even in limited spaces. Whether you have a small outdoor area or just room for a single pot, it's worth giving gardening a try. Despite the summer not being over yet, we've already reaped enough produce to make marinara sauce, multiple batches of jalapeno poppers, and salsa. We've even managed to freeze some peppers for winter use.

For those without the time or space for gardening, local farmers' markets are excellent alternatives. Using fresh, locally-sourced produce can dramatically enhance your dishes and help you prepare easy meals for the colder months ahead.