Makes about 2 cups of sauce

This is an excellent sauce, tasting of all the bright, fresh flavors of summer.  It is best made with tomatoes from your own yard or those you may be fortunate enough to the get, fresh from a local growers market.  Most commercial tomatoes these days are virtually tasteless.   If you have no choice but commercial tomatoes, then try giving the flavor a bit of help with a spoon of tomato paste.   And, hey, don’t bother spending the extra money to buy “vine ripened” tomatoes.  They usually have no more flavor than any other tomato in the market.  The U. S. Department of Agriculture allows a tomato to be labeled “Vine Ripened,” as long as it shows the slightest hint of color at the stem end at the time of picking.  In general, these tomatoes have no more flavor than any other tomato.  Just think about it.  If a tomato was fully ripened when picked, it would be a squashed mess by the time it reached your market. 

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon of butter

About half a white onion, diced

1 or 2 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 or 4 large tomatoes – (enough to make about 2 cups when diced)

1 tablespoon tomato paste – (if your tomatoes are unflavorful)

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 cup of cream

About 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basal leaves

Salt and fresh, coarse ground black pepper to taste

Heat the oil and butter together in a heavy skillet and gently sauté the onion and garlic until the onion is pinkish and translucent.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, if using, sugar and nutmeg and cook over a medium heat for about ten minutes.  Then, puree with in a blender or with an immersible blender.  At this point you may put it through a sieve if you wish.  I never bother.  Add the cream and basal salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for about five minutes, whisking frequently.  This is an excellent sauce to use on Traditional Potato Gnocchi , Pumpkin Gnocchi or Pumpkin Ravioli.