Unthickened Tomato Sauce
About 4 Cups
Place over low heat:
3 tablespoons olive oil
Add and stir about 3 minutes:
1 large Bermuda onion, chopped
2 chopped celery ribs with leaves
1 carrot cut in small pieces
(1/2 chopped green pepper, seeds and fibrous portions removed)
(1 pressed clove garlic)
Add:
4 cups drained canned tomatoes or 6 large fresh tomatoes
If the latter are very juicy, peel and squeeze slightly to get rid of excess liquid and seeds. Add:
1 sprig thyme, basil or tarragon
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
Cook gently, uncovered, until the mixture is thick, about 45 minutes. Watch it, so that it does not burn. Put it through a fine strainer. Add seasoning, if needed. This sauce will keep several days.
Thickened Tomato Sauce
About 1 ½ Cups

Bring to a boil and then simmer 30 minutes before sieving:
2 cups canned tomatoes
1 onion, stuck with 3 cloves
2 chopped celery ribs with leaves
1 diced carrot
1 Bouquet Garnis (recipe follows):
Bunch together:
3 or 4 sprigs parsley or chervil
1/3 to ½ bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
(1 leek, white portion only)
(2 cloves garlic)
To make removal easier, you may place them inside:
(Several overlapping celery ribs)
and bind tightly with a white string.
If you cannot get fresh materials, wrap dried herbs, still on the stem, or coarsely crumbled but not powdered, in 4 inch squares of cheesecloth tied into bags. Store them in a tightly covered container. Allow for 12 bags:
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon each thyme and marjoram
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons dried celery leaves
Above recipe continues:
Add 1 bay leaf
(1/2 chopped green pepper)
Be sure to pass through all the pulpy residue when sieving, so that only cloves, leaves and seeds remain behind. This well-flavored pulp helps thicken the sauce. Melt in a saucepan:
3 tablespoons butter
Stir in, until blended:
2 tablespoons flour
Add the strained thickish stock slowly with:
¼ teaspoon sugar
Simmer and stir the stock 5 to 10 minutes.
Season to taste
Including, if desired:
(1 tablespoon fresh basil)