Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce

Recently, I had a midnight visit from the vegetable fairy. OK, the visitor was my sister, but I’m not exaggerating the late hour. The drive from her home in rural Arkansas to my home Up North is many hours; we worry when she drives. Imagine my delight to find my sister on my porch, home safe and holding big buckets of vegetables. Yes, vegetables… tomatoes mostly, along with quite a bit of okra (recipe coming up soon) and a variety of squash. My sister knows me well – even at midnight, I started working on those buckets right away while everything was fresh, fresh, fresh! This recipe for Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce was a middle-of-the-night creation. It’s delicious. Give it a try!

Ingredients (Makes 2 quarts)

2 quarts cherry tomatoes

2 large carrots

1 large red onion

1 large, whole head of garlic

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons fresh basil, sliced thin

Directions

Step 1) Wash all vegetables. Pierce cherry tomatoes with the tip of a knife and place in a large crockpot. Add carrots and onion. Cook on “low” with lid slightly open (to allow steam to escape) for 12 hours.

Step 2) Slice the top off of the head of garlic, and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap garlic in foil and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 1 hour. Allow to cool without opening the foil.

Step 3) Squeeze the roasted garlic out of the peel and into the crockpot. Add salt and brown sugar. Puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in basil.

Serve immediately over pasta or vegetables, or ladle into containers and freeze. This recipe freezes well.