jennythereader: (Time for Dessert)
jennythereader ([personal profile] jennythereader) wrote2010-08-21 08:37 pm

Mostly From Scratch Spaghetti Sauce

A big pot containing all of the following is simmering away on my stove right now:

3 medium onions
minced garlic
1 30 oz can of tomato sauce
basil
thyme
oregano
rosemary
salt
black pepper
cayenne pepper
balsamic vinegar
sage vinegar
cherry cordial
1 green bell pepper
16 tomatoes of at least 2 varieties

I didn't really measure anything, or follow a recipe, so I'm not sure how it's going to turn out. It sure smells like spaghetti sauce though.

If anyone has suggestions for other things to toss in, let me know.

[identity profile] tx-cronopio.livejournal.com 2010-08-22 12:43 am (UTC)(link)
Yum! I like to put in some red pepper flakes, but this sounds wonderful!

[identity profile] jennythe-reader.livejournal.com 2010-08-22 12:45 am (UTC)(link)
I thought about that but went with the cayenne instead. As far as I know it's the same type of pepper, just in a different format.

[identity profile] dwarven-brewer.livejournal.com 2010-08-22 02:32 am (UTC)(link)
I'd pull the peppers, vinegars and cordial, but I'm going on the sauces I grew up with. OH and add some nice ground chuck if you want a meat sauce.
Edited 2010-08-22 02:34 (UTC)

[identity profile] jennythe-reader.livejournal.com 2010-08-22 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
There's not really enough of any of those that you can taste them specifically, but I think they make the overall flavor more complex. I would have used red wine (instead of the vinegars & cordial) if I'd had an open bottle, but it didn't seem quite worth it to open one just for this.

The meat will get added when I pull the sauce out of the freezer to serve.
nounsandverbs: (swedish chef)

[personal profile] nounsandverbs 2010-08-22 09:55 am (UTC)(link)
I'm a tomato sauce purist -- I go with relatively few ingredients:

Canned diced tomatoes
Tomato paste
Salt
Black pepper
Oregano
Basil
Pinch of sugar
Sprinkle of red wine

But it sounds like complexity was what you were going for.

[identity profile] jennythe-reader.livejournal.com 2010-08-22 02:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Mostly I was trying to use up my fresh tomatoes before they went bad. Everything else I threw in because I thought it sounded good. :)

[identity profile] gwenlianna.livejournal.com 2010-08-22 08:54 pm (UTC)(link)
it sounds delicious. I'd add mushrooms, but that could also be done at the reheating stage if they are wanted.

[identity profile] jennythe-reader.livejournal.com 2010-08-22 11:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Great idea!

[identity profile] vengeful-god.livejournal.com 2010-08-23 01:40 pm (UTC)(link)
A tablespoon of Honey. It adds a nice "hmmm...I wonder what that is".

And FYI, two tablespoons of honey in any homemade pizza crust will rock your world. You'll never go back.

[identity profile] jennythe-reader.livejournal.com 2010-08-23 02:01 pm (UTC)(link)
I actually did that! I know that adding a little sugar will sometimes cut the acid from the tomatoes, and I figured that honey would do that job just as well, while also adding a little something to the taste.