I collected tomatoes from my tomato plants all week. I have found that Italian strains of many vegetable species excel in my area. For instance, Rosa Bianca eggplant, Roma tomatoes, and Italian Rose beans are some of my favorites. Most of the tomatoes that I used are Roma, but I supplemented with Black Krim and a few others. I cut each tomato in half and tossed them in a pot on low-medium heat. In all, I used about 6 cups of halved tomatoes. I added about 1 cup of water for them to simmer in. Add seasoning to your taste. I like to go heavy-handed with whole peppercorns. I also add a dash of salt and a tablespoon of honey. Add a dash of balsamic vinegar. Later on, I'll add fresh herbs. Cover the pot, and stir occasionally.
I browned 1 pound of ground beef with ground pepper and chopped garlic. Drain the fat and mix into the tomato mixture. Turn the heat to medium. Mix together and mash the tomatoes a bit. They should liquefy somewhat as you stir in the beef.
Here is where I get kind of creative with my ingredients. Basically, I just clear veggies out of my fridge and throw them in the pot. I really like using mushrooms, peppers, squash, and eggplant. I've even tried beans, which I thought was great, but wasn't very popular with the boyfriend. Add lots of garlic and fresh herbs. Oregano, basil, and scallions are my favorites. Tonight, I used some cubes of pesto that I had frozen in an ice cube tray. I used 3 cubes of pesto. (My pesto ingredients were just olive oil, garlic, and fresh basil.) I like to add about 1 glass of red wine to my stomach while I cook, and 1 more to the sauce while it simmers.
Gradually turn the heat up to medium-high as the pot gets full of ingredients. Let it simmer for as long as your stomach allows. The sauces get richer and more flavorful the longer they cook-- just make sure that it doesn't burn as you turn the heat up. Enjoy with noodles the same night, and make sure to leave enough for lunch or dinner the next day.
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