Although not quite as thick as its jar-from-the-store cousin, this pizza sauce from Simply in Season makes up for it in taste.

FOR PRINTABLE VERSION CLICK HERE: Pizza Sauce

12 lbs tomatoes (peeled and chopped)
2 medium onions (halved)
2-4 chili peppers
1/4 cup fresh basil
2 Tbs fresh oregano
1 Tbs fresh marjoram
2 tsp fresh thyme
6 cloves garlic (or 2 tsp garlic powder)
1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbs salt
30 ounces tomato paste
1/3 cup olive oil

1. Puree tomatoes through garlic in blender or food processor. (If fresh herbs aren’t available, use half or less of dried). Put puree in large stainless steel pot.

2. Add sugar, salt, tomato paste, and olive oil to puree and cook for 1 1/2-2 hours until very thick, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick. Ladle into hot sterilized pint jars to within 1/2 inch of top, seal with sterilized lids, and process full jars in boiling water bath for 35 minutes.

Servings: 48

Yield: 12-14 pints

The Verdict: Part of me wonders why bother when you use jarred paste? On the other hand, the addition of fresh tomatoes and herbs really did smell wonderful. I am looking forward to homemade pizza this winter.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/48 of a recipe (5.1 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 56.83
Calories From Fat (28%) 16.03
% Daily Value
Total Fat 1.83g 3%
Saturated Fat 0.26g 1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 591.35mg 25%
Potassium 462.08mg 13%
Total Carbohydrates 9.91g 3%
Fiber 2.29g 9%
Sugar 6.77g
Protein 1.87g 4%

Related posts:

1. Basic Tomato Sauce
2. Summer Pesto Pizza
3. Fresh Summer Salsa

A super easy pasta sauce that you can either can or freeze.

FOR PRINTABLE VERSION CLICK HERE: Basic Tomato Sauce

Source: Simply in Season.

1 onion (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
2 carrots (shredded)
1/2 green pepper (chopped)
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
2 Tbs fresh basil (chopped; Note: If you don’t have fresh herbs, use dried but cut the measurement in half)
1 Tbs fresh oregano (chopped)
1 Tbs fresh thyme (chopped)
6 cups plum tomatoes (peeled and chopped)
6 ounces tomato paste
1 Tbs honey (I didn’t use this)
salt and pepper to taste

1. Saute’ onion and garlic in 2 T olive oil until soft.

2. Add carrots, pepper, bay leaves, and herbs and stir well.

3. Add remaining ingredients and season to taste. Simmer 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf and serve or freeze.

4. To can, ladle into hot sterilized pint jars to within 1/2 inch of top, and add 1 T lemon juice or vinegar per pint. Seal with sterilized lids, and process full jars in boiling water bath for 35 minutes.

Servings: 9

Yield: 3 pints

The Verdict: This is a marinara-style sauce that is relatively easy (it doesn’t take a TON of tomatoes or cooking time). The fresh herbs are heavenly.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/9 of a recipe (6.5 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 65.87
Calories From Fat (7%) 4.6
% Daily Value
Total Fat 0.55g <1%
Saturated Fat 0.1g <1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 170.36mg 7%
Potassium 628.45mg 18%
Total Carbohydrates 15.21g 5%
Fiber 3.99g 16%
Sugar 9.06g
Protein 2.61g 5%

This recipe also shared with Real Food Wednesday

Related posts:

1. Pizza Sauce
2. Basic White Sauce
3. Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta

As you can probably guess from the title, it will be a week of canning posts here at The Local Cook! On Labor Day I had a marathon canning session. I made basic tomato sauce, pizza sauce, salsa, bruschetta preserve, and zucchini relish.

My Dad let me have the excess tomatoes from his garden. It’s amazing to me how many go to waste. Nothing against my Dad, it’s just that I imagine around this time of year people are sick of gardening and I am picturing thousands of tomatoes rotting around the nation.

I was very tempted not to peel the tomatoes for the tomato recipes. After doing some reading, however, I decided that I would go ahead and peel them as directed by the recipes. As they did  not call for seeding, I did not seed the tomatoes.

The process for peeling the tomatoes was relatively painless. At first I used a basket to lower the tomatoes into a pot of boiling water, waited until the skins started to come off (about 1-2 minutes), then took the pot and dumped them into a waiting pot of cold water. Eventually I figured out it was easier to just drop the tomatoes one by one into the boiling water and fish them out with a strainer. Oh, and I dug out the core/stem part with my fingernails. Much more efficient than wielding a knife.

Check back this week to see the recipes!

Want more kitchen tips? Visit Kitchen Tip Tuesday

This tip also shared at Tuesday Garden Party and Works for Me Wednesday

Related posts:

1. Basic Tomato Sauce
2. Greek Tomato Salad
3. How Does My Garden Grow? 6/14

No, it’s not winter (even though it feels like autumn outside! The temps went from upper 90s to lower 60s this week) I was pleased that I could use many of my CSA vegetables for this stew from Simply in Season.

CLICK HERE FOR PRINTABLE VERSION: Winter Borscht

3/4 lb stewing beef
1 cup onion, chopped
8 cups water
2 cups potatoes, chopped
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
1 cup beets, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup pearl barley
2 bay leaves
2 Tbs dried dill
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1. Brown beef and onion in a large soup pot over medium heat (about 10 minutes).

2. Add everything except parsley, bring to a boil, cover and and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add parsley and simmer until barley is cooked and meat is tender (another 10 minutes or so).

Servings: 6

The Verdict: “That looks like stew,” said DH when he saw it. “Isn’t borscht red?” I did some searching on the internet, and indeed, most other versions look much more red. However, this still tasted great. Nice and hearty and earthy without being objectionable. The dill and parsley help brighten things up.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (22.1 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.

Amount Per Serving
Calories 354.98
Calories From Fat (15%) 54.68
% Daily Value
Total Fat 6.1g 9%
Saturated Fat 1.5g 8%
Cholesterol 49mg 16%
Sodium 479.64mg 20%
Potassium 1043.51mg 30%
Total Carbohydrates 46.32g 15%
Fiber 7.8g 31%
Sugar 4.69g
Protein 29.04g 58%

Want more recipes? Check out Two for Tuesday , Tuesday Twister, and Delicious Dishes

Related posts:

1. Marrakesh Lamb Stew
2. Hearty Lentil Stew
3. Taco Filling (with Vegetables!)

When the book arrived, I noticed it was a heavy volume (hardcover, 300 pages, 11.3 x 10.9 x 1.1 inches) with a price tag to match ($60; however you can get it on Amazon for less). Let me just say, it is gorgeous! Full color photos throughout of both Blackberry Farm (which is an inn in eastern Tennessee) and of the recipes.

It’s laid out in my favorite way–by season! It includes complete menus for various seasonal dinners. For example, in the Fall section, there is a menu entitled “Yallarhammer Nights.” It includes

• Autumn Lamb Roast
• Wine-Roasted Ducks
• Roasted Bell Pepper Salad
• Eggplant Mousseline with Roasted Tomatoes
• Skillet Apple Crisp

Even if some of the recipes seem a bit ambitious (not sure I’d spend the $$ on duck anytime soon), it’s a great jumping off point for planning a nice seasonal dinner.

The Blackberry Farm Cookbook would make a great gift for the locavore foodie in your life. In fact it has earned a spot in my bookcase.

Related posts:

1. Cooking from the Garden: A Cookbook Review & Giveaway
2. Ripe from Around Here: A Cookbook Review
3. Fresh From the Farm: Great Local Foods from New York State

In fact, I’m proud to announce that the one I most frequently visit, Fulton Street Farmer’s Market,  is ranked #1 in Michigan, and #3 in the whole U.S. according to the recent America’s Favorite Farmer’s Market contest!

This campaign was sponsored by America’s Farmland Trust, which is dedicated to saving our disappearing farmland. They’re the ones with the slogan No Farms No Food. Here’s a video that explains it well:

And, you can get a free No Farms No Food bumper sticker by visiting their website!

If you’d like to find farmer’s markets near you, I recently discovered a site called Real Time Farms, which is neat because you can upload photos of your market to their website. It’s a great way to follow what’s in season.

How about you? Do you have a favorite farmer’s market?

This post also shared with Fight Back Friday and Frugal Friday

Related posts:

1. Happy 4th! Thank your local farmer.
2. Eating Local: Cookbook Review
3. Fresh From the Farm: Great Local Foods from New York State

I was overjoyed to find this recipe in Simply in Season. I thought it would be a great way to use up some heirloom tomatoes from my CSA!

FOR PRINTABLE VERSION CLICK HERE: Fresh Summer Salsa

6 medium fresh tomatoes (diced)
1 medium red onion (diced)
1 large green pepper (diced)
2 hot chili peppers
1/4 bunch fresh cilantro (chopped)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
3 Tbs fresh basil (chopped)
2 Tbs vinegar
1 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and let stand for 30 minutes before serving.

Servings: 6

The Verdict: Oh. My. Word. LOVE how fresh this tastes! The basil and cilantro aren’t too overpowering but definitely make it very flavorful. I ate this with chips and cheese and sour cream. YUM!

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/6 of a recipe (8.4 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 56.76
Calories From Fat (8%) 4.73
% Daily Value
Total Fat 0.57g <1%
Saturated Fat 0.08g <1%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 354.29mg 15%
Potassium 509.65mg 15%
Total Carbohydrates 12.88g 4%
Fiber 4.13g 17%
Sugar 4.27g
Protein 2.45g 5%

This post linked to Real Food Wednesday and Works for Me Wednesday

Related posts:

1. Fresh Tomato and Basil Pasta
2. Summer Garden Ratatouille
3. Summer Pesto Pizza

I’ll let her tell you in her own words the Top 10 Reasons to Take Her Real Food for Rookies Class:

This 12-week online class starts Thursday, September 16th.

If you’d like to learn more, click here: (affiliate link)

Related posts:

1. Sign up for an online cooking class (before you leave for the weekend!)
2. Yes, You Can Lose Weight with Real Food! (I think)
3. 10 Great Resources for Saving Money on Real Food

There were no leftovers, so that means this recipe from Simply in Season must be good!

FOR PRINTABLE VERSION CLICK HERE: Corn Quiche with Tortilla Crust

3 corn tortillas
1/2 onion (chopped; I used green onion)
1/2 green pepper (diced)
1 cup milk
1 cup cottage cheese
3 eggs (beaten)
2 cups corn
1/2 cup cheese (shredded)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro (chopped; about halfway through I realized my cilantro had gone bad, so I substituted basil)
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1. Put one of the tortillas in the middle of a pie pan, then cut the other tortillas in half and overlap to cover most of the other bottom and sides of the pan.

2. Saute’ the onion and green pepper until translucent, then mix well with the milk, cottage cheese, and eggs.

3. Stir in remaining ingredients and bake in preheated 450F oven for 10 minutes; reduce to 350F and bake another 30-40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Servings: 4

The Verdict: I baked this for 45 minutes and the knife never did come out clean. Well, it was clean, but still wet, so I wasn’t sure if it was because I used canned corn (I know, shoot me, but it was drained) or what. So I decided it was probably done. However, when I went to cut it the quiche had set up. Weird! Anyways, it tasted great. Because I had substituted basil, it would have been even better with some chopped tomatoes.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size: 1/4 of a recipe (10.2 ounces).
Percent daily values based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet.
Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.
Amount Per Serving
Calories 489.08
Calories From Fat (19%) 91.35
% Daily Value
Total Fat 10.3g 16%
Saturated Fat 4.89g 24%
Cholesterol 179.03mg 60%
Sodium 803.16mg 33%
Potassium 326.57mg 9%
Total Carbohydrates 76.06g 25%
Fiber 2.45g 10%
Sugar 4.79g
Protein 21.08g 42%

This recipe also shared at Meatless Monday, Recipe Roundtable, Tasty Tuesday, Delicious Dishes

Related posts:

1. Zucchini Garden Chowder
2. Corny Cornbread
3. Crustless Zucchini Tomato Quiche

I’ve decided that I need to start menu planning again, otherwise I’m going to get even further behind on my project and eat nothing but cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and chips and cheese for dinner. With DH going out of town this coming weekend for DALMAC (a bicycle ride from Lansing to the Bridge. For those of you not from Michigan, The Bridge means the Mackinac Bridge, more than 300 miles over 4 days). I’ll be able to make the vegetarian dinners with no complaints from him.

So, check back throughout the week to see when I post the recipes!

Monday –  Sesame Couscous Chicken Salad

Tuesday – Apricot Chicken

Wednesday – Dropping off DH in Lansing

Thursday – Girl’s Night Out

Friday – Nicoise Salad

Saturday – Sandwich Tofu, Nut Ring Loaf

Sunday – Southwestern Corn Chowder, Chipotle Carnitas and Pinto Beans

Related posts:

1. 10 Things on The Menu This Week
2. Menu Plan Monday
3. CSA & Garden Update Week 3: 6/24