Your vegetable patch is ground zero for red gold -- fresh tomatoes. A sun kissed, vine ripened garden tomato is bursting with flavor, and there's no comparison between the taste of a home grown tomato and store bought tomatoes prematurely ripened using ethylene gas.The only trouble with a big garden tomato harvest is that it can be an embarrassment of riches. What do you do with all those extra ripe, juicy tomatoes? Well, you make fresh tomato sauce, that's what.Homemade tomato and marinara sauces have bright, fresh flavor, and they're surprisingly easy to prepare. Our simple recipe will create a sauce that's great on pasta, in soups or in stews. Use your imagination.Fresh Tomato Sauce RecipeIngredients2 lbs. plum or tomatoes5 tablespoons olive oil1 yellow onion, chopped2 cloves garlic, minced fine1 tablespoon Cream Sherry1 teaspoon dried oregano1/4 teaspoon black pepper2 Tbs. fresh basil leaves1 oz. Parmesan cheese, gratedSalt to tasteDirectionsStep 1 - Remove Tomato SkinsWash tomatoes and score them on the bottoms with a large X, just splitting the skin. Place small batches (four or five at a time) in a large pot of boiling water for 45 seconds. The larger the pot, the more tomatoes you can include. The idea here is to soften just the outermost layer of tomato meat in order to loosen the skins so they'll come off easily. Using lots of hot water (or fewer tomatoes) insures that the water temperature won't drop too much when the tomatoes area added. Don't leave the tomatoes in the water too long, you don't want to boil them.Remove tomatoes with a spider or slotted spoon. Let cool for three to five minutes and then remove the skins. They should just slip off. If not, junk them in hot water for another minute or two.Step 2 - Chop TomatoesRough chop tomatoes, discarding the stem ends and any loose seeds. Note: Some people don't mind the seeds, while others think they make tomato sauce bitter. If you want to remove a majority of the seeds from cooked tomatoes, slit the tomatoes lengthwise and scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Then rough chop the cooked tomatoes as you would normally.Step 3 - Cook the Onion and GarlicIn a large saucepan, heat oil and add chopped onion. Cook on medium heat until glassy (about four minutes). Add garlic and continue cooking for an additional two to three minutes.Step 4 - Add TomatoOnce the onion mixture is ready, add tomatoes, oregano, pepper, salt and Cream ******. Very acidic tomatoes can have a metallic taste, and adding Cream ****** will create a sweeter sauce. The recipe calls for a tablespoon of Cream ******, but you can add as much as three tablespoons depending on the acid content of the tomatoes you're using.Cover the pan and reduce heat to a low simmer. Cook for 40 minutes. Remove the pan lid and continue cooking until the sauce has achieved a consistency you like - probably an additional 20 minutes or so.While the sauce is still warm, add the fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. Stir to incorporate.Tip: For added sweetness, include an ounce of pureed carrot to the sauce when you add the ******. You won't taste carrot, but the tomatoes will be creamier and have less of a bite.