This week's French Garden recipe

People who know me would tell you that it's hard to tell which I like more: gardening or cooking. I'd say it depends on which I'm doing at the moment. Anyway, French cooking and French gardening go hand in hand. For me, cooking is an on-going adventure. Join me here on my culinary explorations, where I share with you both my old favorites as well as new inspirations. It's my fondest wish that these recipes serve as a springboard for your own new creations.

09/21/2010
Smoky tomato sauce   Clay pot 

Ingredients:

2 lbs. or more garden ripe tomatoes

What--that's it?  Well, okay, maybe some salt, eventually.

To make this sauce the out-of-this-world thing it can be, you should light a wood or charcoal fire rather than a gas grill.  If using a gas grill, add some sort of wood product to produce actual smoke.  Let the fire burn down to hot coals with just a few flames licking up.  Wash the tomatoes, remove their stems without cutting into the skin, and place them on a grill over the coals.  Roast, turning occasionally, until they are soft and beginning to char a bit in spots.  As they become done, use tongs to toss them into a food mill fitted with a fine grate and set over a large bowl.

Run the tomatoes through the food mill (do NOT use a food processor) until only a dry residue of skin and seeds remain.  Scrape and turn patiently at the end to extract every bit of precious tasty pulp from your tomatoes.

Now, I know this next step sounds as if I'm just trying to sell my merchandise, but in fact if you use any other receptacle I won't take any responsibility for the result.  Scrape off the bottom of the food mill grate, and then dump the contents of your bowl into a large clay skillet  or poêlon.  The poêlon is the ne plus ultra for creating thick, richly flavorful tomato sauces--smoky or normal--unlike any you've tasted.  I can't believe I didn't think of this use for my favorite clay vessel until this summer.  Allow the sauce to bubble away over medium heat until it is as thick as you want it.  Stirring it about once every 45 minutes to an hour is all you need to do; the thick clay prevents scorching.  You can even go all the way to the tomato paste stage with minimal attention.

Taste your sauce.  You will flip over how good it is.  Salt it to taste if using right away and use it as with kebabs, grilled chicken, over rice, or even as a ketchup substitute on burgers and with French fries, if that's your thing.  Pastas are definitely in the realm of possibilities too.

If you make enough of this sauce, you can can it.  Don't add salt if you're preserving it because when you take it out to cook with it, you may forget it's presalted and oversalt your dish.  Fill small jars (this sauce is potent) to within half an inch of the top, wipe the rims, screw on lids, and process at 5 lbs. of pressure for 10 minutes (after 10 minutes of steam venting the pressure canner).

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Products of Interest:
Provençal poêlon

Try some of our past French garden recipes:

Appetizers and small dishes

Basics

Beef, pork, lamb, and veal