straight from the vine

This year has been a rough year for tomatoes.  Not because they've been hurt by temperature or stolen by large insects but because they are ripening about 20 at a time. 

Who eats 20 tomatoes in a week???  Not me, or the hubbs or our little lady.  So what do we do with that many tomatoes?

We marinara-fy them. 

Thanks to Giada (love her) I made enough marinara sauce this morning to feed a small army - and used up the two and a half freezer bags of tomatoes hanging out in the 'frigidair all at the same time. 

magic. 

It really was super easy too, which was strangely mystifying to me - skin and de-seed tomatoes:

 I love the way they look after you take the skins off - I call em' 'naked tomatoes'

throw everything in the pot and wait for it to thicken:
 

Ta-da amazing sauce that I promptly devoured:

Have loads of tomatoes??  Try this out, you will not be disappointed :)

Mariara Sauce
by: Giada  De Laurentiis

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 small onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes (I used about 10-11 garden tomatoes skinned, de-seeded, and chopped up)
2 dried bay leaves (I didn't add these because I didn't have them, but I just added basil and oregano while it was simmering and it tastes delish)

In a large casserole pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon of each salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves, and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste. (The sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before using.)