Yield: 2-4

Spicy Chunky-Style Homemade Cajun Tomato Sauce

Spicy Chunky-Style Homemade Cajun Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

  • 24-26 garden-fresh plum (roma) tomatoes depending on size, blanched, peeled and deseeded
  • 1 small pepper of choice or a mixture, (hot, sweet or mild), 1/3 - 1/2 cup small dice (*see note)
  • 1/2 small sweet onion, small dice
  • 1/4 cup finely diced celery
  • 1 Tbl. butter
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3 dried basil leaves, crushed fine
  • 1 1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 tsp. pureed chipotles in adobo sauce
  • 3/4 tsp. garlic salt
  • 1/2 tsp. creole seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp. sweet smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp. coarse ground black pepper

Instructions

  • With a paring knife, slice through the skin on the stem end making a small "x", place 1/3 - 1/2 of the tomatoes into low-boiling water for 20-30 seconds, remove to a baking sheet to cool a little. Repeat until all of the tomatoes have been blanched.
  • Peel tomatoes, use a small melon-baller to remove stem end, break open tomatoes, and remove goop and seeds from inside. Place flesh/meat into a medium saucepan.
  • Add rest of ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and simmer until juices and water have cooked out, stirring as needed. Will take about 45 minutes or so, depending on how high or low you simmer them.
  • Remove bay leaf, ladle sauce into a jar or container and cool. Cover with lid and place in fridge to chill. Use promptly.

    • Notes

    Peppers that work well for this: jalapeños, banana peppers (sweet or hot), fresh pimientos, cubanelles, bells, New Mexico Heirloom, Carmen. Just to name a few! You can use one kind, or mix in a few.