Summer Tomatoes

This a delicious way to use fresh tomatoes from the garden. It makes a nice pasta sauce or dipping sauce for crusty bread- or both! You need a 1/2 gallon canning jar or a large glass bowl that you can cover to set out in the sun. You could mix it in a bowl, then divide between two quart jars.

Dip 8 -12 tomatoes in boiling water for about a minute. Fill your sink with cold water and put hot tomatoes in there after the minute. The skins will come off easily. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and put in the 1/2 gallon glass jar. Add:

3 cloves garlic, minced

6 green onions, chopped OR 1 onion, chopped

3/4 - 1 cup olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Big bunch of fresh basil, chopped

fresh parsley, chopped (opt.)

1-3 T. sugar (to taste)

Salt (to taste)

Pepper (to taste)

Mix all together in the jar. Shake well. Put jar in the sun for several hours. Occasionally shake the jar if you're around.

Serve with crusty bread for dipping or mix with cooked pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.