16 GROUNDCOVER NEWS FOOD Sunday sauce BEN FOSTER Groundcover contributor This is the basic marinara sauce that I use for a few different open hours meals at Hospitality House in Ypsi. There are no amounts for the ingredients below because I don’t know what they should be. I could make them up but they might be wrong and then I’ll be in big trouble. What I will say about amounts is: if you're going to make sauce you should make a lot of it. If you're not going to use it all at once, just freeze it or give it to a friend. Either way it can be a time-consuming affair so you might as well make it worth your while. I usually use equal parts carrots and onion, but you can and should play around with this ratio and see what you like. It's pretty hard to screw it up (although I have done it more than a few times). Just don't burn anything during the first stage and you will make a simple and tasty sauce. I believe in you. Onions Carrots Salt Olive Oil Garlic, minced Tomato paste Whole canned tomatoes Optional: Basil, oregano, cracked pepper Grate onions and carrots on a box grater. Give the carrot gratings a good chop with a knife, to break things down ahead of time so the cooking process has less work to do. Add carrots and onions to a large pot over low heat. Add some salt to help them release their moisture. Stir (I won’t keep saying stir, just do it when it seems like you should). After things have sweated for a few minutes, add some olive oil. Get a very minor saute going. You want slow cooking without burning, feel free to add more olive oil at any point to achieve the level of moisture this requires. Cook for as long as you can. This could be 30 minutes or it could be 3 hours. Ideally you want a jammy paste thing bubbling away. Don’t be afraid of olive oil. While your onion and carrot jam is being brought into this world, open up your cans of tomatoes. I used to pass my tomatoes through a food mill or colander to remove seeds and tougher parts of the tomato. This is a pain and I usually don’t do it unless I’m feeling self-conscious about the potential silkiness of the sauce or some other dumb reason. The non-psychological benefits are marginal. Instead you can just break down the tomatoes with your hands in a big bowl and set aside. Once things are caramelized sufficiently or you’ve lost your patience, add garlic and stir into the jam and cook for another few minutes till the garlic is fragrant, then add tomato paste. Again add some olive oil if things are too dry. Add the broken down tomatoes and stir to combine everything. Hopefully you’ve been stirring even though I haven’t been telling you to. Let cook at a simmer for as long as possible. I generally aim for 2 to 3 hours, stirring every so often. Feel free to also add oregano, basil and other spices at some point. If you have an immersion blender, blend to a smooth consistency. If you don’t, just say “I like a chunkier sauce” while explaining yourself. Add salt to taste. Use immediately or refrigerate/ freeze. Reheats well. SEPTEMBER 4, 2026 PHONE (734) 994 - 9174 • PEOPLESFOOD.COOP NATURAL FOODS MARKET & DELI 216 N. FOURTH AVENUE ANN ARBOR, MI MAKE MEALS YOU LOVE! Fresh ingredients to $5 OFF ANY PURCHASE OF $30 OR MORE One coupon per transaction. Must present coupon at the time of purchase. Coupon good for in-store only. No other discounts or coop cards apply. Not valid for gift cards, case purchases, beer or wine. 10/02/2026 OFFER EXPIRES 5/30/2026
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