The End of This Year’s Garden

This year was a very poor harvest year from the garden. Other than the very first year he planted all of the harvests have been nothing less than overwhelming so this year came as a bit of a surprise. Fortunately we are so far ahead with what we have canned and frozen it won’t force us to have to buy anything this winter. Which is exactly where the hubby wanted us to be!

The broccoli and cauliflower harvest was really disappointing as these are my favorite vegetables but he did bring a few in over the last few days. Five large cauliflower heads in total so at least I’ll have a bit to parse out throughout the year. I used one of them to make a batch of cream of cauliflower soup which we both love.

The tomato harvest was truly sad – I usually have enough tomatoes to make sauce, ketchup, barbecue sauce, to can tomatoes and to dry them. This year there were none before the frost at all. We thought that was going to be it but the garden did give us a few surprises – he found about 10 ripe tomatoes the other day. I must admit I was very happy as I do love a fresh from the garden tomato. I made caprese salad and this delicious end of the harvest tomato sauce. It’s simple to make and utterly delicious.

Tomato Sauce

Serves 2

4 cups chopped tomatoes

1 TBS olive oil

1 large garlic clove

1 TBS basil, finely chopped

salt to taste

3 cups cooked penne pasta

4 oz fresh mozzarella, diced

2 TBS toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

Heat a large heavy bottomed saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil.
Mince the garlic clove and add to the olive oil in the pan.
Add the basil. Stir. Add the tomatoes.

Bring to a simmer and lower the heat and cook for about 20 minutes.
While the sauce is cooking add the balsamic to a small saucepan and reduce by half to a slightly syrupy consistency. set aside.
To serve: add half the pasta to a bowl, top with half the sauce,  add some of the diced mozzarella. Drizzle the reduced balsamic over the top and sprinkle the pine nuts.

I must admit that this was out of this world delicious. We both were licking the bowl clean and I made it again the next night for dinner! Sadly there are only two tomatoes left so I won’t be able to have it again until next year. This is the joy and sadness of living by what you grow.

I do have that cauliflower soup to look forward to….

Penne with Fresh Tomato Sauce

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★★★★★

5 from 3 reviews

A quick and easy sauce made from fresh tomatoes

• Author: Broken Teepee
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 40 mins
• Yield: 2
• Category: Entree

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 cups fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1 TBS olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove
• 1 TBS basil, chopped fine
• salt to taste
• 4 oz fresh mozzarella diced
• 2 TBS toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 cups cooked penne pasta

Instructions

1. Heat a large heavy bottomed saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil.
2. Mince the garlic clove and add to the olive oil in the pan.
3. Add the basil. Stir. Add the tomatoes
4. Bring to a simmer and lower the heat and cook for about 20 minutes.
5. While the sauce is cooking add the balsamic to a small saucepan and reduce by half to a slightly syrupy consistency. set aside.
6. To serve: add half the pasta to a bowl, top with half the sauce, add some of the diced mozzarella. Drizzle the reduced balsamic over the top and sprinkle the pine nuts.