Slow Cooked Fresh Tomato Sauce

Tomato season is in full swing here in North Georgia, and those 'maters were piling up high in our kitchen this week! I decided to take all our fresh, ripe Roma tomatoes and make a gorgeous slow-cooked tomato sauce.

I'm not gonna lie to you, dear readers. This sauce was a heck of a lot of work! In the end, was it really truly worth it?! Oh, heck yeah!!!

Fresh Tomato Sauce
made up on the fly by yours truly

2 lbs. fresh, ripe tomatoes (or 2 large cans crushed tomatoes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup water
1 tablespoon of your favorite Italian seasoning blend
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup Italian red wine (optional)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Fresh basil and oregano

Boil a large pot of water. Place the tomatoes (in batches if necessary) into the boiling water for 60 seconds. Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and place into a bath of ice water to cool. When tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skins, and core/seed the tomatoes. (BTW, this part will really freaking hurt if you have paper cuts on your fingers - oow!) Place the remaining flesh into your crock pot.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the green pepper and onion, sauteeing until soft - about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another two minutes. Pour the veggies over the tomatoes in the crock pot.

Next, add the water, Italian seasoning, vinegar, sugar, and wine into the crock pot. Turn on low and cook for 4-7 hours, stirring occasionally if possible (i.e. get your husband/friend/dog to do it when s/he comes home for lunch). During the last hour of cooking, add the tomato paste and a teaspoon or two of fresh basil and oregano, chopped.

If you like a finer texture, then transfer half of the sauce to a blender or food processor and carefully blend until smooth (remember you're dealing with a very hot liquid!). Return the blended sauce to the crock pot and stir.

Serve hot over cooked pasta of your choice, and garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy!