PEEWEE'S HEIRLOOM TOMATO PASTA SAUCE

stock
3 lg. heirloom tomatoes
2 sm blue bell peppers, 1/2" chopped
good handful of english peas, shucked
good handful of brussells sprouts, halved
1 dried whole red chile, crushed (I *suppose* it's optional...)
1/2 bulb garlic, smashed
fresh basil, chopped
fresh sage, chopped
bay leaf
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
olive oil
white wine (don't skimp)

I'd never seen the blue bell peppers before so I of course I had to get them. Substitute your favorite color. Also, I assume you're using the spicy version of my stock, as this dish was intended to be quite hot, hence the additional red pepper. For this sauce, I made the stock using 1/2 of the bottle of wine for the liquid.

Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water until the skins split and can be peeled. Cool the tomatoes under cold running water first. Once the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel and chop them. Smash up a bunch of garlic. I used about 1/2 of a large bulb.

Heat up a dutch oven with some olive oil and add the garlic and crushed red pepper. Hit the garlic with the heat for about a minute and then add the chopped tomatoes. Add just enough stock to ALMOST cover the tomatoes. Don't add too much stock! Simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes. Add more stock if you have to, but the idea is to cook it down into a thick sauce.

Add the peas and peppers. In a frying pan with some olive oil, brown the brussells sprouts. Don't cook them until they're done, just brown them. Add them to the sauce. Add the chopped herbs. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Cover it once you've got it cooked down sufficiently. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Remove from heat and let it cool to a manageable temperature. Serve with garlic bread, fresh grated Parmesan cheese, whole wheat pasta and the remaining 1/2 bottle of wine.

Feeds two hungry people.