A garden Update & A Crock Pot Sauce Recipe using your harvest!

This post may contain affiliate links, I will be compensated for purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. Thank you for your support!

     My garden is really starting to produce!  It hasn't reached its peak yet, but I've harvested about a dozen tomatoes and lots of pattypan squash.  I'm getting a few little sweet peppers that wintered over and started producing again.  Look at my Pom Pom sunflowers, they are going great guns and are perfect for attracting pollinators.  Click the Read More Button and I will tell you what's going on and give you a recipe that anyone can use with their garden produce! 

     A couple of things that I've never planted before are doing pretty great this year!  

• My Pom Pom Sunflowers are so beautiful and are covered with blossoms!  They have really been good at attracting pollinators.  They aren't the type of Sunflowers that are going to give me any sunflower seeds, unfortunately, but I love how beautiful they are! 
• Cantaloupe! I've harvested about 4 of them so far!  They aren't getting very big, but they are very sweet!  My husband and I will share one at breakfast, and they are so good!  
• My oregano is growing like wildfire!  

The cantaloupe I had for breakfast this morning!

Freshly harvested oregano!

     I have a few varieties of tomatoes that all have green tomatoes on them.  They have just begun to turn red and I have to make sure I harvest them before the birds find them!  So, I usually pick them just before they are totally ripe and let them finish in the house for a day or two.  

      As I've said, my garden hasn't hit its peak harvest moment yet, but it is getting there!  So, when I started having a few things more than my husband and I could eat within a couple of days, I decided that I needed to start using thing up now to get a jump on preserving and cooking as it comes in.  I didn't have enough produce in to can it yet, so I decided to make an Italian style sauce in my crock pot with what I had so that nothing would go to waste.  Here is what I had to put in it.  But, you may have different  things coming out of your garden.  That's ok!  The beauty of this type of sauce is that you can substitute so many different ingredients in it and end up with a delicious result!  If there was any left over, I would freeze it for later!  I'm going to list what I put in mine, and then let you know other things that you can substitute instead.   I'm putting a star next to the produce that I grew!  (Yes, pretty much just to brag! LOL!)

OH!  If you don't have a garden, you can always use produce that you have from the store that you don't want to have to to waste, or maybe you found a good deal from a wholesale source.  Wherever you get your produce, this sauce is a great option.  And BONUS!   This is a great recipe to hide vegetables in for those kids that won't normally eat them! 
​

Ingredients I used and their substitutes:

• *Tomatoes-There isn't really a substitute for these.  You need them in this sauce.  But, you can use any variety of tomato and if you don't have enough, you can throw in some canned ones!  I didn't even peel or seed my tomatoes, because everything was going to get blended together later anyway.
• *Pattypan Squash-I've told you about Pattypan Squash in other posts, here and here for example.  You could also use zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potato or pumpkin.
• ​*Onion-You really do need an onion of some kind.  I used red and green, but any variety will do. 
• Garlic-The garlic I'm growing wasn't ready, so I had to use purchased fresh garlic.  I you have enough growing, the scapes could work if they aren't ready to harvest.  I also supplemented with garlic powder.
• Celery-I haven't grown celery yet, but I want to.  Here in AZ, it is a Fall or Winter crop though.  Carrots would also work great.
• *Sweet Peppers-I had a few little sweet peppers from my garden.  Bell peppers or other peppers of your choice will work.  I don't like much heat in my Italian sauce, so I don't use anything with heat.  but you do you! 
• *Fresh Oregano-I have plenty of this in my garden, I used to have basil, but it bolted and I had to pull it out.  I will put it in again soon.  I did use basil that I grew and dehydrated myself, so I think that counts!  If you don't have fresh grown herbs, use dried ones! 

Chop everything in to coarse chops and put it all in the crock pot. Add the herbs and seasoning. Put the lid on the pot and let it cook for a few hours, until everything is soft. Use an immersion blender to puree it and then continue to simmer at leas another hour.

         Here is the recipe that you can download and print! 

Sorry I forgot to get a picture of my sauce all by itself.

     I served my sauce mixed with pasta with cheese on top and sausage on the side.  I think it would also be great with chicken!  I'm going to try that next!  
      This was such an easy recipe and a great summer meal!  I hope that you will give it a try.  Let me know if you do! 
​