Recipe: End-of-Summer Tomato Sauce

I love summertime, and I'm always a little sad to see it go. The upside is fresh tomatoes are always so abundant during summer's waning days, and this recipe takes full advantage of late summer's best bounty. The key to this recipe is to find really ripe local tomatoes. This recipe yields a lot, so it's best to freeze some of it for those busy weeknight dinners.

End-of-Summer Tomato Sauce
Makes about 8 cups

• 6 pounds ripe tomatoes, quartered and seeded
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano
• 2 bay leaves

1. Working in 2 to 3 batches, pulse the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the blade attachment until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook them until soft and translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the carrots, salt, and pepper and continue to cook until the carrots are tender, about 6 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and bay leaves along with 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil.

3. Reduce to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour. Remove the bay leaves and purée the sauce in the food processor or a blender. Serve the sauce over pasta, chicken, or fish or portion it into airtight containers and freeze for up to 3 months.