Roasted Tomato Sauce

A selection of harvested tomatoes

If you have (almost) more tomatoes than you know what to do with, this sauce is not only delicious and enormously versatile, but in its freshly sieved state – that is, before you add the sugar and vinegar – it freezes brilliantly for up to six months. Makes 1.4 litres.

3kg ripe tomatoes, halved
5-6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
4-6 tbsp rapeseed or olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-2 bay leaves
A little light muscovado sugar
A little cider or white-wine vinegar
Ground mace or nutmeg

Heat the oven to 180c. Lay the tomato halves cut-side up in a single layer in a couple of large roasting tins. Scatter over the garlic and thyme. Trickle over the oil and season generously.

Roast for an hour, or until the tomatoes are soft and starting to brown around the edges. Place a sieve over a bowl and, working in batches, tip the tomatoes into the sieve and rub them through with a wooden spoon. Discard the skin and pips. At this point, you have the option to freeze the sauce to keep you going through the winter – use it as a base for soups, stews and pasta sauces, or swirl it on top of pizza.

Measure the sieved puree volume, then put it in a wide saucepan with the bay leaf (or leaves). For every 500ml of puree, add a heaped teaspoon of sugar, a tablespoon of vinegar and a pinch of mace. Bring to a simmer and cook gently, stirring often, until reduced by half to form a thick, glossy sauce. Adjust the sugar/vinegar balance, if necessary, and season to taste.