Tomato-Free Tomato Sauce (aka, "Nomato")

I am in full-blown student zombieland. Thesaurus.com remains a permanent fixture of my open tabs, and last week, a classmate told me my earrings reminded her of the symbol for Google Drive. Today, I upgraded from my robe to sweatpants to feel more refreshed... only to march into my living room with the robe tucked into my sweater and trailing behind me. I am determined not to be swallowed by a haze of reading and writing- at least not any more than I already am- so with the cool air outside, I'm keeping things interesting in the kitchen.

My boyfriend has made me "Nomato" sauce before. I don't know where to credit the term. I only know that the first few times I have tried to do it myself, it turned out with very few memories of tomato, but a lot of purple hues. I decided to take it slow and steady for a couple of batches, and I am both proud and excited to announce that I think I've got it. The colour, the texture, the flavour... it all came together- which is a pleasant contrast to the other life tasks I am partaking in - most notably getting dressed for public appearances.

So, alongside my frazzled, unwashed hair and various layers of lounge-loiter fashion will be chilli. And there will be pizza. And pasta. And probably just a bowl of it with a spoon.

Tomato-Free "Nomato" Sauce 

Ingredients:

1 onion, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
4 small canned beets
1 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp sage
Veggie broth to cover; approximately 2 cups (GF, TF, CF if necessary)
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

In a medium-large pot, sauté the onion, garlic, carrots and olive oil on medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the beets, herbs and veggie broth, and bring to a gentle boil. Turn the heat down and let simmer until the carrots are quite soft, about 15 - 20 minutes or so (depending on the size of your pot and thickness of carrot slices).

Remove from heat, and puree using your blender or food processor of choice. Add lemon juice, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper, stirring well. Yields approximately 4 cups of sauce.

Note: I haven't yet tried freezing this recipe, since I've managed to use it daily, but I imagine it would keep quite well in freezer friendly bags.