Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

When I go into the garden with a spade, and dig a bed, I feel such an exhilaration and health that I discover that I have been defrauding myself all this time in letting others do for me what I should have done with my own hands.  ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Emerson says it perfectly! I love my small garden plot in one of our local community gardens. Back in April, as I tilled and planted, the fragrance from the soil was thick and heady, just like my anticipation for a summer full of vegetables. Each task required to nurture a garden brings me joy. As summer is drawing to an end, my gardening consists of watering, picking and using the vegetables I have worked for the past five months.

Last night a friend from church gave me two bags of tomatoes. Today I combined them with tomatoes from my garden and canned spaghetti sauce using the following recipe.I made sure to take notes on my method, since I typically throw ingredients in the pot until I am satisfied with the flavor and texture. You could also scale this recipe down to make enough for dinner.

Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

Source: Original Recipe

Yield: 7 quarts

3   onions, finely chopped

2   heads of garlic, minced

1   shallot, finely chopped

3   tablespoons basil

3   tablespoons oregano

6   bay leaves

2   cups red wine (optional)

2   8oz. cans tomato paste

14 lbs. san marzano tomatoes

Combine first seven ingredients in a large stockpot over medium heat. In another pot of boiling water begin boiling tomatoes, 7-10 at a time, for 2 minutes. Remove tomatoes from boiling water and submerge into cold water. Peel off skin and remove core, adding each tomato to the sauce mixture in the stockpot. Repeat until all tomatoes are skinned and cored. Using a wooden spoon or potato masher begin crushing the tomatoes into the sauce. Add tomato paste. Simmer for about 2 hours until thick and fragrant. Remove bay leaves before serving or canning. Refrigerate any leftover sauce.