Stocking the Larder

Something about the cooler weather makes me think I need to stock the larder, lay up a few things for the colder months.  I guess bears do the same kind of thing when they sense a change in the weather and work extra hard to hunt, gather and consume as many fruits, plants and nuts as they can in order to fatten up for the shorter days and long winter.  I have no plans to hibernate in days to come, but when the sun starts to set before 6:00, I do find myself gravitating toward pajamas and a good book, a bit of a cave dweller myself.  And it is somewhat reassuring to have a little something in the freezer to set the pace for quick dinners in the colder months. Nothing is quite as diverse and heartening as a good tomato sauce, chock full of onions and garlic, carrots and celery.  At the ready for a quick pasta dish or smeared on a pizza crust, spooned across a meatball sub, giving a leg-up to lasagna, eggplant or chicken parm, a good homemade tomato sauce is ever so much better than anything you can pour out of a bottle or can.

Here is a recipe that has become a staple in my freezer in recent months.  When I grabbed the last pint out of the freezer for two plates full of spaghetti and meatballs the other night, it was time to pull out my favorite pot (a vintage WearEver that was a wedding present to Paul's mother in 1941) and fill the house with aromas that would make you think someone's Italian grandmother had taken up residence.  Once again, my foodie flank man ferreted this recipe out of Esquire magazine.  The pictures of Giadi De Laurentiis dressed in a slinky cream colored cocktail dress getting up close and personal with crushed tomatoes may have caught his attention, but I really believe he was just thinking ahead to romantic pasta dinners with me!  ANYWAY, I like the symmetry of the ingredients in this recipe--2 of this and 2 of this and 2 of this--easily halved and also easily committed to memory after one or two batches.  My larder is stocked, at least for the next couple of weeks. You'll feel better prepared for the shorter days ahead when you have a couple of quarts stowed away, too!

Giada's Homemade Tomato Sauce
adapted from Esquire Magazine


1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 32-ounce cans crushed tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves

1.  In a large pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes.  You'll have to stir pretty frequently to keep the garlic from browning too much.

2.  Add the celery, carrots and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.  Sauté until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.

3.  Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour.

4.  Remove and discard the bay leaves. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Makes about 2 quarts.

How to get the sauce to stick to the pasta:  Giada says, "Before you strain the pasta, save 1/4 cup of the pasta water.  Then drain the pasta, add a little Parmesan cheese, then add your tomato sauce--and then mix in the reserved pasta water.  The starches in the water help the sauce stick.  It comes out really nice and creamy."


My note:  I like the Cento brand tomatoes, and they come in either 28 or 35 ounce cans.  I opt for the 28 ounce cans so the veggies are a little more prominent in the sauce.