Pasta Sauce

As the nights get quickly longer and winter approaches, our once prolific tomato plant is still putting out a valiant effort.  At its peak, it was putting out more than two pints of fruit a day, but we're now down to a pint every other day.

As a way to keep the taste of fresh tomatoes around a little longer, we make a simple (and low effort) pasta sauce:

 

• tomatoes
• olive oil (extra virgin, if possible)
• garlic
• salt
• red pepper flakes
• whatever herbs you have - parsley, basil, marjoram, etc

1. Wash and add tomatoes directly to your pot with a good glug of oil (a tablespoon or so?)
2. Turn fire to high, cover, and wander off to chop the garlic
3. Give the tomatoes a stir and see the skins start to come off and release juice into the bottom. Add the chopped garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes. 
4. If your herbs are dried, add them now (if they're fresh, add them at the end).
5. Once the majority of the tomatoes have split and begun shedding their skins, mash them up with a wooden spoon and leave everything on high for a few more minutes.
6. If you have them, add fresh herbs now. Turn down the heat and using a stick blender, puree the sauce completely. Check the sauce to see if it needs more seasoning one last time.
7. Pour into a clean jar and cap (or use immediately). 

 If kept sealed and refrigerated, your sauce should last until the zombie apocalypse, or the singularity, whichever comes first.