Make your own tomato paste

If you have not noticed, tomatoes are in season and, therefore, affordable. This should give you the licence to experiment with various tomato-based dishes. Last week we learnt how to make tomato soup. This week I will teach you how to make tomato paste.

What you need

To make your own tomato sauce/paste, you will need

1-2 large onions (finely chopped)

3 cloves garlic (chopped)

8-10 tomatoes

Method:

Sauté the garlic with the onions for a couple of minutes until they are translucent.

Add the tomatoes, chopped, and if you have some, add a teaspoon of dried, or several teaspoons of fresh chopped oregano, basil, and any other herbs you enjoy, such as parsley or rosemary. I prefer fresh herbs since they have a better flavour.

Simmer for 30-45 minutes under low heat.

Another way is to blend the tomatoes in a blender/food processor and simmer in the sautéed onion for about 15-20 minutes or until the paste thickens. A little sugar will neutralise the acidity.
For a fancier version, sauté chopped olives and/or mushrooms along with the garlic and onions

Remove from the heat, drizzle with olive oil, and add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

This recipe can also be used to make pizza sauce. You can also add some lemon juice, sugar, and fresh cream to make a delicious sauce to go with pan-fried fish.

The sauce also goes well with pasta dishes such as lasagna or spaghetti with tomato sauce. You could also add the sauce to meat dishes at the very end to have a rich tomato-flavoured dish.
Other uses

Tomatoes make a great addition to bean and vegetable soups.

Sauté the garlic with the onions for a couple of minutes until they are translucent.

Enjoy a classic Italian salad — sliced onions, tomatoes, and mozzarella cheese drizzled with olive oil

Mix chopped onions, tomatoes, and chilli peppers for a fuss-free salsa dip.

Puree tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, and scallions in a food processor and season with herbs and spices of your choice to make the refreshing soup, gazpacho.

Add tomato slices to sandwiches and salads. To keep things colourful, mix the common red tomatoes with the yellow, green, and purple ones.

You do not have to fry your food with tomatoes every day, especially the ones with meat. Instead, fry the meat with just onion and garlic, or even boil it, then eat it with a salad of sliced or chopped tomatoes.

Kachumbari

2 Tomatoes

1/2 Onion

Dhania (Coriander)

Lemon Juice/vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Chilli (optional)

Method:

In a large bowl, chop the ingredients into desired shape and size, mix, season, and serve cold as an accompaniment.

Did you know…

Due to their acidic nature, tomatoes react with aluminium pots, a factor that may introduce aluminium into the food.

The food will not only have an unpleasant taste, but may be dangerous to your health. Instead, invest in stainless steel cookware, which is not only safer, but also lasts longer.