Tomato Sauce

This invaluable Languedoc housewife’s sauce is made in summer, when ripe, sweet tomatoes are weighing down the baskets of shoppers and vegetable gardeners; it can be used right away or kept in the freezer for later, it freezes well. In the past it was always pasteurized, either in preserving jars or in old wine bottles. It is vital to everyday cooking and is used to make the usual sofregit, a rich tomato base, and in all sorts of soups, stews and sauces.