Fresh tomato sauce

We’re drowning in a tomato torrent at the moment. We also have a steady stream of bell, chilli and Espelette peppers to complement them. I was naively imagining myself being able to relax a bit at the beginning of September after a very hectic summer. That was before the tomato frenzy. And as if our own aren’t enough to contend with, well-meaning (or perhaps sadistic?) neighbours donate to our tomato fund as well. We’ve been ringing the changes with tomato risotto, tomato omelette, stuffed tomatoes, tomato and basil salad, spicy chicken with tomatoes and black olives…  Are you sensing a theme? Even the hens are indulging; if anyone has any good tips on how to protect tomato plants from hens’ destructive beaks, please let me know.
Tomatoes are overflowing with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, most notably lycopene which is thought to be capable of fighting and preventing cancer and heart disease. I justify my lax attitude towards the hens’ tomato fest with the fact that their eggs will be full of lycopene this Autumn.
As you can imagine, I’m absolutely tomatoed out and am now mindlessly brewing up this old favourite, which freezes well to use in the tomato-barren winter months. It may be used as a sauce for pasta, added to risotto or any tomato-based dish.
Ingredients (serves 8)
1 red onion
5 cloves of garlic
4 tblsp olive oil
8 medium size organic tomatoes
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
2 chilli peppers
Sea salt and pepper
Lightly fry the chopped onions and garlic in olive oil in a casserole dish. Skin the tomatoes by blanching in boiling water for a minute or so and then add to the dish. Cut the peppers into thin strips and add to the tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper and leave to simmer on a low heat for at least an hour, or until the mixture begins to caramelise very slightly.