Summer Tomato Sauce

Perfect Pairing:  Anything You Want – Jason Mraz (click to listen)

I love summer.  I love the weather, the produce, the sounds, the events, the entire attitude of summer.  Living in Chicago means you take full advantage of those few precious months.  That is why there are always multiple street fests going on every weekend. 

This recipe just tastes like summer to me.  It is so simple to make but full of flavors like sweet tomatoes, fresh basil and roasted garlic.  It is the perfect topping for grilled fish or chicken or even on some crusty bread.  Anything you want!  Which leads me into my Perfect Pairing…..

The Perfect Pairing for this recipe is the song, Anything You Want by Jason Mraz.  If this sauce tastes like summer, this song sounds like summer.  I have been a Jason Mraz fan for a long time.  He is so talented and his music is always fun.  He is a great performer so I try to go to his concerts whenever he is in town.  The last concert was out of this world.  He performed at Northerly Island on a gorgeous night in August.  Northerly Island is an awesome venue in Chicago with great views of the skyline.  The picture below is from that concert.  How gorgeous??

If you know me, you know I am a huge reggae fan.  It makes perfect sense since I grew up on a farm in the Midwest, right?   Anyway, at the concert Jason (we’re on a first name basis) sang this song.  At the time I had never heard it and was immediately obsessed since it had that reggae feel.  I looked it up as soon as I got home but it was nowhere to be found!!   Apparently it was unreleased.  It was my good fortune that he made a live album from that concert I attended and now I can listen to it whenever I want.  You might also like his version of Lionel Richie’s,  All Night Long that is on the same album.  Lots of fun.

I’m telling you, make the sauce, throw it on top of anything you want, listen to the song and you will feel the warm breezes of summer!  They sure are fleeting.

Summer Tomato Sauce

Lindsay at Perfecting the Pairing

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

·         2 Tb. Olive oil

·         4 to 6 garlic cloves, smashed

·         2 pints of grape tomatoes, halved

·         Salt and pepper to taste

·         Fresh basil, torn

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the smashed garlic cloves and cook in the oil until soft and lightly browned.  Add the sliced tomatoes and cook over medium-low heat until the tomatoes have broken down and reached a sauce consistency.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from heat and stir in the fresh basil.  Serve over grilled fish, chicken or crostini.

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