fresh tomato sauce

ok ok, i know i'm always bashing on the raw foodists... and i stand by that bashing... however, as i've mentioned, they do have a few good ideas.

this recipe was inspired by a dish a friend and i made many years ago from some raw food cookbook, but simpler/easier. we had some nice weather for a while there (as i write this we're in the middle of a weeks-long downpour, though i'm sure by the time it's posted it'll be summer again) and it got me making super summery food choices. in the summer i want to live on smoothies and salads and quinoa and raw things. matt doesn't have quite the same swing in food cravings as i, so this sauce actually was a perfect choice! i served mine room temperature over "raw pasta" (ie carrots, cucumber, etc put through the mandoline to make "spaghetti"), and served his over cooked (real) pasta.

both ways, it was fabulous... and would even make a great dip for crackers/veggies if you processed it a little less (so it would be a bit chunky).

ingredients:

3 c roughly chopped roma tomatoes
1/4 c oil-packed sundried tomatoes
4 cloves garlic, grated or roughly chopped
1/8 c olive oil
1/2 c packed fresh basil, roughly chopped
salt and pepper to taste

to make:

toss everything but the basil, salt and pepper in a food processor. blend until the sauce is as smooth or chunky as you like it (use "pulse" for very chunky). add basil and pulse to mix. add salt and pepper to taste.

enjoy!