The Tomate sauce – 4 servings By Maison Legrand

Chili, January 2016, I am harvesting 40 kg of organic tomatoes. They are magnificent but the farm doesn’t have any distribution channel.

I only have one solution to save the production : transform those tomatoes into a sauce and sell it. Panic on bord, i have never done this before.

This is when I remembered about this young culinary entrepreneurs couple discovering recipes all around the world through their project « Legrand foodtrip » : Anne & Antoine Legrand.

They came to visit us in Limache and cooked THE most delicious tomato sauce made with all the products of the farm’s organic vegetable garden. We had become really good friends so I called them for help. In 5 minutes the recipe is retranscribed, I put the apron on and start pealing the tomatoes.

The biggest satisfaction of this adventure? Apart from being able to eat my own sauce made with local, organic and amazing tomatoes (I am being really objective here, thanks to the Legrands!!) ; wasto hear an old farmer ask me for four cans of tomato sauce on the market, because having tried them, he could remember the taste of his grandmother’s…

Thus, would you give it a try?

Ingredients

• 5 good-sized ripe tomatoes
• 1 clove garlic (or 2 if little ones)
• 2 onions
• 1 carrot
• 1 bay leaf
• oregano
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1/2 bundle of fresh basil leaves
• Sea salt, black pepper, 1 brown sugar cube 1 pinch of Espelette pepper (or Cayenne if you like it a little bit spicier)

Method

1. Wash and cut the tomatoes, remove seeds and cut into pieces without peeling them (this will keep a deep red color). Strain the juice to get rid of the seeds.
2. Slice the onions. Peel the garlic and chop finely. Peel the carrot and cut into small dice.
3. In a deep pot, pour 4 generous tablespoons of olive oil. Cook the bay leaf & the oregano over a very low heat (it allows to keep all the flavors).
4. Add the garlic, the carrot, & the onions. Make them sweat, without coloration.
5. Add a pinch of salt (it allows to evaporate the carrot’s water).
6. Take out the bay leaf, then add the tomatoes and their extracted juice. Boil and stew, covered and on a low heat during 10 minutes.
7. Add a cube of brown sugar and season with salt, pepper and chili. Stew uncovered, during 5 minutes.
8. Blend it, then stew until obtaining the consistence desired. Test it and rectify the seasoning if needed.
9. At the very end, add the half bundle of basil from the HappyCar’s kitchen garden, freshly chiselled.
10. Serve immediately or let it cool down, then freeze it for ulterior use.