Tomato 'Mama' Sauce

Welcome to the fifth day of our mother sauce tour! Today is classic French Tomate (yes, that’s spelled correctly) and I’ve had many requests to show how to make a vegetarian sauce. So, winner winner, here comes Tomato Mama Sauce - get it, instead of mother, since it’s a derivative and vegetarian? Anyways, video shows my mama sauce, and I’ll put both recipe versions below to show the difference.

My Tomato ‘Mama’ Sauce (Vegetarian):

-1 tablespoon olive oil

-1/2 cup small diced yellow onion

-3/4 cup small diced carrots

-3/4 cup small diced celery

-4 garlic cloves, minced

-6 cups tomatoes - I use a combination of San Marzano whole and crushed tomatoes

-1/2 tablespoon oregano

-1/2 tablespoon basil

-1/2 tablespoon parsley

-salt and pepper to taste

-2 tablespoons butter (omit if you are vegan)

makes about 6 1/2 cups

-In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil and add onions, carrots, and celery until softened - about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper here!

-Add garlic, stir, cook until garlic becomes fragrant - about 3 minutes

-Incorporate tomatoes and spices including more salt and pepper - bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

-Remove sauce from heat. Using a blender or immersion blender, puree sauce and return back to saucepan. Stir in butter, taste for salt and pepper!

French Tomate Sauce:

-2 oz diced salt pork

-4 garlic cloves, minced

-1 medium yellow onion

-1 cup carrots

-1 cup celery

-2-28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

-1 quart veal stock

-1 ham bone

-herb sachet (we learned this last night!) of parsley sprigs, bay leaves, and thyme

-salt an pepper

Method is essentially the same, except this recipe wants to loosely simmer in the oven for two hours! Ain’t nobody got time for that right now!

In my video I continue the vegetarian theme with Roasted Broccoli Parmesan complete with homemade Tomato Mama Sauce, roasted broccoli, parmesan, and two kinds of mozzarella cheese!!

Catch up with me on Saucy Sunday where we’ll learn the sixth and final mother sauce - Hollandaise! Fitting right? Brunch… Saucy Sunday…look forward to seeing you there!