A Two Minute Sauce With A Winter Tomato Food

WINTER TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• Using fingers, split open tomatoes; remove and discard seeds. Chop tomatoes; reserve juice. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped tomatoes and reserved juice and all remaining ingredients; stir to combine. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until sauce is reduced to 4 cups, stirring often, about 1 hour.
• Remove bay leaf and any stems from herbs. Pass sauce through food mill fitted with large holes. Alternately, transfer to processor. Using on/off turns, process to coarse puree.

RICH WINTER TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small bowl soak dried tomatoes in boiling water 30 minutes and drain in a sieve over a bowl. Chop soaked tomatoes coarse.
• While dried tomatoes are soaking, in a saucepan cook onion and garlic in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add canned tomatoes with juice, stirring to break up tomatoes, chopped tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste and simmer sauce, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
• Purée sauce through the fine disk of a food mill or force it through a coarse sieve set over a bowl. Sauce may be made 1 week ahead and chilled, covered.

A TWO MINUTE SAUCE WITH A "WINTER" TOMATO

Steps:

• For 1 1/2 pound of pasta, dice up a cup or so of tomato pieces (without seeds-or skin, if you are willing to peel the tomatoes). Slice 3 plump garlic cloves. Shred 2 tablespoons of fresh basil.
• Toast the garlic slices in 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil for 1 minute in a fairly large skillet. Scatter in the diced tomato, sprinkle on a pinch of salt and a pinch of peperoncino, and toss the pieces for 1 more minute, just barely cooking them. Turn off the heat and stir in the basil leaves and the cooked pasta with 3 or 4 tablespoons of the pasta water. Toss all, then add grated cheese-Parmigiano-Reggiano, Grana Padano, or Pecorino Romano.

WINTER TOMATO SAUCE

Steps:

• In a heavy 5-quart saucepan cook onion, carrot, celery, garlic, basil, oregano, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until vegetables are softened and add wine. Boil wine until most is evaporated and stir in tomato paste and tomatoes with reserved juice.
• Simmer sauce, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, 35 minutes and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 15 to 20 minutes, or until thickened. Discard bay leaf. Sauce may be made 2 days in advance and kept covered and chilled.

PASTA WITH WINTER SQUASH AND TOMATOES

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Put olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, shallots and pepper flakes and cook for about a minute; add tomatoes and squash, and cook with some salt and pepper.
• When squash is tender - about 10 minutes for shreds, 15 or so for small cubes - cook pasta until it is tender. Combine sauce and pasta, and serve, garnished with parsley or Parmesan.

WINTER TOMATO QUICHE

Steps:

• Roll out the crust and line a 9- or 10-inch tart pan. Refrigerate uncovered (place in freezer if using the yeasted crust) while you make the filling.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide, heavy saucepan and add the onion. Cook, stirring, until it begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and continue to cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile pulse the tomatoes in a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in a mini-processor.
• Add the garlic to the onions and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add to the canned tomatoes and turn up the heat slightly. Add the tomato paste, sugar, salt, basil or rosemary spring and thyme and simmer briskly, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 15 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, and add pepper. Remove from the heat. Remove the basil or rosemary sprig and, if you used rosemary, remove any rosemary needles that may have detached from the sprig. Allow to cool slightly. You should have about 1 cup of the sauce.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl. Brush the bottom of the crust with a small amount of the beaten egg and pre-bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
• Beat the milk into the eggs. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly ground pepper to taste and beat together. Stir in the cheeses and the tomato sauce and combine well. Scrape into the crust, using a rubber spatula to scrape out every last bit from the bowl. Place the tart on a sheet pan for easier handling and place in the oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until set. Remove from the heat and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes before cutting.