Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce

The tomatoes are in!!!  Jim brought home a big bag of tomatoes courtesy of Jamie (from work).  Thank you, Jamie!  And ours are almost ripe on the vine.  I had made a big batch of salsa last summer so I wondered what I could use these for.  I decided on marinara.  Now I love the 5 Minute Marinara (see February 4th post), but I wanted something a bit different using garden-fresh tomatoes.  I found this recipe on www.fashionablyfoodie.blogspot.com.  You throw in a splash of balsamic vinegar at the very end for a really nice, different, complex flavor.  A wonderful way to use those extra summer tomatoes.

FRESH TOMATO MARINARA SAUCE

8 large garden tomatoes
1/2 onion, chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
6 cloves (6 tsp) minced garlic
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1 1/2 tsp sugar (to taste)
2 tsp balsamic vinegar

Drop half of the tomatoes into boiling water in a big stockpot and boil for about a minute or until skins start to split.  Remove with slotted spot into colander, repeat with remaining tomatoes.  When cool enough to handle, remove skins.  Core and cut tomatoes into 2-3" cubes.

Chop the onino, preheat oil in the stockpot.  Saute onion until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add cubed tomatoes, garlic, and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, then hard simmer for half an hour.

Add basil, oregano, salt, and sugar, adjust seasonings to taste.  Hard simmer for another half hour (mine took over an hour.....guess my heat wasn't high enough) or until sauce has been reduced by half.  Stir in balsamic vinegar.