Hey Mamas,

I've been lurking here the last couple of weeks and I really like the advice and tips given here.

My question right now thought, is whether or not anyone has a really great but frugal recipe for homemade spaghetti/pizza sauce - NO CHUNKS is a prequisite unfortunately.

I went to a very small local farmers market today and came home with 20# of canning tomatoes for $10. Woohoo! These are the ones that they just can't sell as perferct. I was so excited....for $20 I got 3 zucchini, 1 small eggplant, 1 huge muskmelon, 1 nice round supersweet watermelon, about 8 peaches and the tomatoes.

Also, does anyone have a good recipe for eggplant? DH and I have been wanting to try this, but I personally have never made nor ate eggplant.

Okay, that's it for now. Thanks for all your advice.

Eggplant recipe

Peel and slice thin. dredge in flour, then water or milk, then bread crumbs.
Fry in oil.
layer in baking pan and smother with spag. sauce.

eat as is or on big crusty french bread rolls!

i want a spaghetti sauce recipe too. subbing...

Here's a good one. All her recipes are frugal and easy!

http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com/qcestomatosauce.htm

dont know if you consider it frugal, but it is really yummy and easy.

Spaghetti Sauce


½ bushel tomatoes
2 bulbs garlic
3 lbs onion
4 hot peppers (seeds too)
1 pt. vegetable oil
8 – 6oz. cans tomato paste
1 ½ c sugar
½ c salt
1 TBS oregano
1 TBS sweet basil


Wash, quarter, and Victoria strainer tomatoes. Put juice on to cook.

Cook onion, garlic, and hot peppers in veg. oil for 30 min. Put through blender and add to juice.

Add paste, sugar, salt, basil, and oregano.

Cook entire mixture for 1 hour or until thickens.
Put in jars and seal at once.
Process in hot water bath for 20 minutes.

I tend to "just wing it" with spaghetti sauce.

When I get large quanities of Tomatoes, I just halve them, dip them in boiling water to get the skins off then freeze them that way. When I need spaghetti sauce, I grab a quart or two of tomatoes and defrost them and toss them in the pot. I add any spice I want...oregano, lots of garlic, onions--really whatever I have on hand. I also add carrots, green pepper, squash--but that would give chunks. After the tom mixture simmers for awhile, I puree it and then let is simmer longer. This does not make a super thick sauce, although I'm sure you could add something to it to make it thick, but we love it.

:)

Jeni

I am guessing I'd blend/puree the tomatoes before you make your sauce. I wing it too and it always turns out wonderful. I put tomatoes ( I use canned , but will be trying with fresh tomatoes this week),onions( chop fine cuz dh doesn't like em) , garlic,mushrooms and basil in a pot and simmer for a half hour to an hour. We usually have meatballs with spaghetti and I wing those too. Ground beef, shredded cheese, parmesan, egg , milk bread crumbs and garlic, mix until blended and roll into 2" diameter balls. Cook on med ium heat stirring often to brown them:)


I'd like more veggies in my sauce but my family is pretty picky. One thing we agree on though is CHUNKY sauce..lol but as I said puree the tomatoes and that'll fix that.

You can also mill spaghetti sauce in an apple sauce mill. :) That is what I do. No chunks is a big deal in my house too. ;) I feel your pain.

Val

Are you wanting to CAN spaghetti sauce? Or just know how to make it? Another way to do it is to make a large amt of the spaghetti sauce, and then let it cool, put it in quart bags, and freeze it. This skips the step of canning and it works just as well, and is almost as fast to use. Just take out a quart of the yummy goodness, peal off the bag, and defrost in a sauce pan while you are making noodles or whatever. Then you can use it for whatever you just prepared. :D This is what I am doing this year because I HATE canning tomatos. ;)

Val

For eggplant:

My favorite way to cook them is to slice them lengthwise in about 1/4" strips. Salt them on both sides and let them stand for 15-20 minutes. Blot off excess moisture. Brush liberally with olive oil and add salt and pepper. Grill or broil. I find this method really does a lot for the flavor and texture of eggplant!

Once you have these grilled slices, you can use them in many ways!

**You can make "rollups" by spreading them with a ricotta/parmesan/spinach mixture like you would use for Lasagna - top with marinara and mozz and bake until bubbly.

**make regular lasagna and add these in a layer

**Make grilled panini sandwiches - we like turkey, roasted red peppers, provolone or mozz, fresh basil, eggplant, and spread pesto on the inside of each slice of bread. You can vary the fillings endlessly or make them veg very easily! (I am even dairy free right now so I add avacado to a lot of things as a sort of sub)

****Chop it up and add it to pasta dishes

** make a relish with tomatoes and such - I don't really have a recipe but I've had dishes like this in restaurants

so many options!!

Are you wanting to CAN spaghetti sauce? Or just know how to make it? Another way to do it is to make a large amt of the spaghetti sauce, and then let it cool, put it in quart bags, and freeze it. This skips the step of canning and it works just as well, and is almost as fast to use. Just take out a quart of the yummy goodness, peal off the bag, and defrost in a sauce pan while you are making noodles or whatever. Then you can use it for whatever you just prepared. :D This is what I am doing this year because I HATE canning tomatos. ;)

Val

Nope, defenitely not canning! I don't have any canning items and have never done it in the first place...maybe next year. I want to freeze.

Thanks for all the tips ladies! I think I'm going to do as some have suggested and freeze the tomatoes and then make it as I go.

Now, as for the eggplant....Artermis I'll try that, it sounds good. What about Eggplant Parmesan? We both like CHicken Parmesan so I thought that might be good to try.

If only my dh really liked spaghetti, I'd probably have a good recipe for it. As it is, he just puts up with it, so I usually just open a jar, lol.