The Tomato Sauce Caper

Have you ever wondered what goes into tomato sauce?  Besides the obvious, of course!  I must say, it is labor intensive, but the end result is worth it. 

I spent last weekend making homemade tomato sauce, with the help of my best friend.  We started with…

We cored, we scored, we peeled, we chopped…

And ended up with this…

Of course, when you undertake a project such as this, one must include…

We ended up with two pots of tomatoes, as the one stock pot was not big enough to hold all of the chopped tomatoes.  And then we started to cook the sauce...added salt, pepper, sugar, tomato paste (to thicken it some)…

That's my friend who helped me make the sauce.  I love her! 

And voila!  Sauce!

 
Sunday I canned the sauce…

So at the end of the weekend, I ended up with…

A trash can of tomato parts…

And 14 pints of sauce that I can use as a base for making all sorts of yummy goodness!

And a new use for the box the canning jars come in...

This is Cooper.  Anytime there is an empty box lying around...well, you get the idea!

 
 What is your favorite recipe that uses tomato sauce? Would you ever try to make your own?

…To the Food Co-Op

Bountiful Baskets

Have you heard of this organization?  If so, do you participate?

I first found out about the organization from a blog post on Spark People.  I checked out the website (www.bountifulbaskets.org) and found that there is an active site in my area.  Sure, I have to drive about 30 minutes to get there, at least for the time being, but it’s worth it to me.  I have a couple of friends that also participate regularly, and we hope to get a site set up in the area where we actually live very soon.  We just have to find an acceptable place that will allow us the use of the location.

A little information from the website:

BBFC distributes produce baskets, organic produce baskets, artisan bread and sandwich bread every other week.

BBFC is a group of people who work together for mutual benefit. This is a grassroots, all volunteer, no contracts, no catch co-operative. Since there are no employees at Bountiful Baskets, we as a group pay rock bottom prices on your food. This also means the co-op would not happen without volunteers. If you are interested in the co-op continuing, please volunteer occasionally. All it takes is a little time, energy and a smile. Volunteer opportunities include helping prepare the baskets, breaking down boxes, assisting with the distribution, and packing up. To help out, simply arrive an hour early dressed and ready to work with water to drink.

At my site, BBFC offers both organic and non-organic baskets.  I typically order the organic baskets and the occasional add-on.  This week my add-on was the Veggie Lovers Italian Theme Pack.  Here’s a look at what I brought home with me.

 

I received:

Fresh herbs (oregano, rosemary, and basil), one large yam/sweet potato (Texas size!  LOL), 1 eggplant, 1 honeydew melon, 1 yellow bell pepper, bananas, blueberries, mushrooms, romaine hearts, celery, green beans, radicchio, peaches, mangos, pears, apples, zucchini, lemons, 1 large onion (also Texas size!), and a head of garlic.  Not bad for $35!

Now I just have to figure out WHAT I’m cooking this week!

So go to the website and check it out.  I promise you won’t be disappointed if you find that you are able to participate in your area.