Marco's Tomato Sauce

It's harvest time, and a few days ago I watched my great housemate and gourmet cook Marco prepare a delicious tomato sauce.  With his permission, I took copious notes, and here is the result.  

This recipe is golden - tried and proven.

Yields: 5 jars of 250 ml

Ingredients:

* 3 pounds of tomatoes, evenly divided between grape, cherry, and “big juicy” tomatoes (tomatoes do not need to be peeled; grape and cherry tomatoes do not need to be cut into small pieces; larger tomatoes should be cut into 1-2 cm cubes approximately)

* 4 cloves garlic (cut to “minced” size)

* 1 large onion (cut to small squares)

* 1 large green pepper (cut to small squares)

* 2 carrots (cut to small squares)

* 4 teaspoons of olive oil

* a pinch of salt (1/4 teaspoon maximum)

* a pinch of sugar (1/4 teaspoon maximum)

* a pinch of baking soda (1/4 teaspoon maximum)

* optional: 1/4 cup white wine if sauce has no meat or with chicken; if the sauce has any other meat, use red wine

* optional: 1 fresh “habanero” or “chilli” pepper for more spicy flavour

Directions:

* heat olive oil in a large frying pan

* add garlic, onion, and carrots, turn stove to medium-high (level 6), stir occasionally for 3 minutes

* (optional: add “habanero” or “chilli” pepper after 1.5 minutes)

* add a pinch of salt, turn to low-medium (3), and stir for 10 minutes

* add green pepper, a pinch of sugar, turn stove to medium-high (7), stir occasionally for 3-5 minutes

* reduce heat to low-medium (3), cover frying pan with lid for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally

* (optional: add wine)

* add tomatoes, turn up heat to medium-high (7), and stir occasionally for 3 minutes

* lower heat to low-medium (3), cover, and stir occasionally for 10-15 minutes; try to “squeeze” or “squish” small tomatoes into the sauce

* turn up heat to medium (5), keep squeezing and squishing small tomatoes for 5 more minutes, stirring occasionally

* taste sauce: if bitter/sour, add a pinch of baking soda and sugar to take away bitterness

* add salt and pepper to taste

* put sauce into glass jars and place in large pot of boiling water for 30 minutes

* take jars out of boiling water and place upside down on the counter (on a towel), and let jars dry; lids will “pop” into place as jars cool