One of the most wonderful things about seasonal cooking is also the most frustrating: needing to wait for produce to be in peak condition before it can be used a favorite recipe. Ripe tomatoes and sweet corn are especially precious in the short summer months of the Midwest, and every year I wish I could hold on just a little bit longer.
Luckily (I think? Maybe not.) spring and summer arrived to this corner of the world a little late. The usual planting times were full of rain, which meant that the whole growing season for southeastern Wisconsin was about a month behind. The farmer’s markets are still full of wonderful tomatoes. Hoorah!
Though spring and summer were late to the party, fall is rolling in right on time. Not long after the Labor Day cookouts had been cleared up and the neighborhood kids went back to school, there was a chill in the air. Sweater weather was arriving. Yet, the bowl of sweet, summery tomatoes remained on my counter.
I wasn’t quite ready to make a soup or a stew, so I thought a bright and spicy sauce would be the perfect bridge between the two seasons. I roasted the tomatoes along with a lone peach and a few spicy peppers. Once the edges started to brown, I blended them all together with a splash of vinegar to form a pretty pink sauce.
We’ve been topping chicken and pork with this, but it would also be an excellent addition to roasted salmon, mixed with butter and slathered on to sweet corn, or in lieu of your go-to hot sauce. Really savor the summer and make a double batch if you like — it will keep in the fridge for a few weeks.
Ingredients
- 3 medium tomatoes about 1 pound, quartered
- 1 large peach pit removed and quartered
- 1-3 chili peppers of your choice see note
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider or sherry vinegar
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a sheet tray with aluminum foil. Arrange the tomatoes, peach, peppers, peppers, and garlic cloves in a single layer, then drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt.
- Roast for 40-45 minutes, until the tomatoes and peaches are soft and are brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
- Add the roasted produce to a blender or food processor along with the vinegar. Puree until smooth. Transfer to an airtight container — the sauce may be used right away, but some time in the fridge will help the flavors mingle. Season with salt if needed.
Hi there- I’ve been dying to make this, and plan to today, but just noticed that there the final amount is not listed. Do you have an idea of how much sauce this would make? 1-2 cups possibly? Just wanted to figure out if I need to double the recipe to make spaghetti!
Thanks!
Hi there – sorry for the delay! It depends on the size of your produce, but it usually yields about 2 cups for me.