Get Sauced

This week for COMFORT FOOD FRIDAY, I'm going to explain how I make tomato sauce, which I do almost every Sunday. It's a ritual that makes me feel good, and it always results in something that tastes good. I love to share my sauce. I love watching people taste my sauce. I love making double entendres about my sauce.

Most of the time I make a vegetarian marinara. If I'm going to add meat, I'll make meatballs in the oven, or grill some Italian sausage. But I like the sauce to have a flavor of it's own. The only meat that I think helps the flavor is throwing a pork chop in the sauce while it cooks, and that's just because the women in my family always did so, and I'm superstitious like that.

I make several kinds of sauce. Some with fresh tomatoes, some with canned. The canned tomato sauce is thicker, and more like what you'd buy at the store. Except it tastes a hell of a lot better.

Anyhow... What I use...
1 gallon crushed tomatoes
16 ounces stewed tomatoes
16 ounces diced tomatoes
16 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 whole yellow onion, diced
1 whole garlic clove, diced
1/4 cup fresh oregano
1/4 cup fresh basil
1/4 cup olive oil
salt, pepper, sugar to taste

In a large pot, brown the onion, garlic and mushrooms in the olive oil over medium heat. Add half of the basil and oregano, half way in. Be prepared to add more olive oil if the veggies soak it all up. You don't want them to stick to the bottom of the pan. You can use butter if you run out.

Add the diced tomatoes, and stir the hell out of that mixture. Then add the stewed tomatoes, mix well, and reduce the heat to low. Let it come to a slow boil, before stirring in the crushed tomatoes and the rest of your basil and oregano. Reduce heat to a simmer, and let cook at least an hour, stirring throughout. You can let this cook and thicken for 3 hours if you have the time.

Stick a spoon in there and taste it. You're going to need to add salt, pepper and sugar. Stir well whenever you add any other ingredients.

You can add green or red peppers with the onion, garlic and mushrooms if you like. You can add artichoke with the crushed tomatoes. You can add meatballs or Italian sausage at the end. You can boil a pork chop in the sauce like my mom always did. No matter what, you'll have a delicious sauce you'll love to see people wipe off of their chins.