PROJECT 55--------Tomato sauce

If you have a pizza base(previous project) you will need a tomato sauce.  This one as well I prefer to make myself.  It just taste sooo much better!

I started making this one a few years ago when my vegetable garden produced a very good crop.  I am still making it!

I originally got the recipe from one of my Jamie Oliver cookbooks, but adapted here and there.  Sorry Jamie!  You are still my favourite in the kitchen!

To make 500 ml:

1 large onion

5 ml fennel seeds

1 celery stick chopped

olive oil

thumb nail piece of fresh ginger

2 cloves of garlic crushed

1/2 fresh red chili deseeded

1'2 green pepper chopped

bunch of fresh thyme(originally it had basil, but I could never get my basil to grow!)

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

2 cloves

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

salt

1 kg tomatoes

200 ml brown vinegar

70 g brown sugar

Place all the veggies in a heavy bottom pot with a little olive oil, as well as the ginger, garlic and fresh herbs, salt and pepper.  Cook until soft and add water.Cook until it reduced to half the volume.  Place all the other herbs and spices in a piece of muslin and add it to the veggies.  Add the sugar and vinegar as well.  Cook until it thickens.

Remove the spices.  When I am in a hurry I bottle it just like this, pips and all, then I use it for pizza and cooking or even as a base sauce when making a relish when we are having'pap' with our 'braai'.   A typical South African way of eating.

When I am not so hasty, I strain it trough a sieve.  Great on eggs, burgers, name it .....anything that needs tomato sauce!

Bottle it in hot sterilised jars and seal hot.   Worthwhile the effort!