Gay Cook’s Poached Eggs in Fresh Tomato Sauce

by Gay Cook

Some local tomato crop may still are available in a few stores. Local tomatoes are rich in colour and taste and easy to freeze for soups and sauces. To freeze tomatoes, peel by dropping them in boiling water for 25 seconds. Drain the water; cool the tomatoes; peel tomato and cut inhalf. Cut out the stem and white pith and freeze in in 1 or 2 cup plastic containers or zip-lock plastic bags. They are ready for any soup or sauce throughout  winter.

When cooking with fresh herbs, add them only at the very end of cooking to have their unique taste (the essential oils). If using dried herbs add them at the beginning of the cooking to bring out their flavour (the essential oils).

Tomato Sauce for poached eggs, pizzas, pastas, pulses (dried beans or peas), fish, poultry or meat  

Makes 6 cups

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive or vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 kg (2 lbs) fresh tomatoes, peeled, core removed or 2 cups (500 ml) frozen peeled tomatoes
• 1 or ?2 tsp (1 – 2 ml) crushed red pepper or to taste
• 2 tsp (10 ml) coarse salt or to taste and freshly ground pepper to taste
• ?2 cups (32 ml) fresh torn basil or 2 tsp (10 ml) dried basil or
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh oregano or 2 tsp (10 ml) dried oregano
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped parsley or any fresh herb available sprinkled at serving time

1. Heat oil in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion and garlic until soft but not brown, at least 10 minutes
2. Cut tomatoes in half and remove the white core root. Puree tomatoes in food processor or use immersion blender to puree. Add the seasonings to taste. Simmer, half covered until thick about 25 minutes.
3. If using fresh herb, pull the leaves off the oregano stems and finely chop. Add the fresh herbs at the very end.
4. Use sauce immediately or store, place in plastic containers, cover and freeze.

To poach eggs in sauce place 1 to 2 cups sauce in a low sided saucepan or fry pan with a lid, on medium heat. Make 4 or 8 small indents in the sauce using the back of a large spoon to make the indents. Break an egg into each indent; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover with lid and gently cook about 2 to 4  minutes until the egg whites are white but firm and the yolks have become to congel but they are still soft to the touch.

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