just a smidgen

Big Batch Go To Tomato Sauce with Turkey Meatballs

Go To Tomato Sauce 2A

You say tomato, I say tomato..

but what do you call turkey “meat”balls?

Turkey orbs?

Poultry spheres?

 

Go To Tomato Sauce 6 ♥

I mean.. technically there is no “meat” in these “balls”..

just turkey and some incredible flavor bestowed upon them from a substantial amount of blended up

{ note: blended, not pureed }

herbs, arugula and seasoning!

To Go Tomato Sauce 4

{ I know.. my photos are still “blue”, but maybe that’s a good thing.. you know, gives a feeling of mood to the photo. Life’s sometimes “blue” too you know! Well, I have been reading about how to use a white card before I take photos at dusk.. so the next batch should be better… }

 

 Gwyneth.. and her chef-mate, Julia Turshen,

have made a tomato sauce that I love.. enough to triple the recipe so that I could freeze it.

I’ve gently modified it.. so if you’d like her original recipe you should pick up a copy.
It’s so pretty and the photos will always remind me of this summer at the lake.

Go To Tomato Sauce 2

Perhaps this tomato sauce nothing out of the ordinary for those of Italian descent,
{ unlike those of us from the land o’ the potato }

But I loved it, my family loved it and that was enough for me.

Better still the turkey, um poultry spheres..
were amazing, downright genius because they’re melded with so many fragrant herbs
they taste like a nibble of garden with every bite.

However you’d like to spoon it up, this is a great Big Batch Go To Tomato Sauce with Turkey Meatballs recipe to make ahead for the chillier days of fall.

 

Go To Tomato Sauce

 

Big Batch Go~To Tomato Sauce
 
Cook time
Total time
 
Ingredients
  • 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 20 garlic cloves, minced
  • 12 large basil leaves, fresh
  • 6 28-oz cans san marzano whole peeled tomatoes with juice
  • coarse sea salt
  • freshly cracked ground pepper
Instructions
  1. Measure the olive oil into a large, deep dutch oven. Set to a low heat then add the garlic and allow it to cook for about 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add the half of the basil leaves (6) whole and stir, cooking for another minute or so.
  2. Add the canned tomatoes along with their juice. Stir in the remaining basil leaves and then bring the sauce to a boil. Then turn the heat down so that the sauce simmers gently for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally and use your spoon to break up the whole tomatoes as they cook. Taste and season with sea salt and pepper.
  3. Serve, ladled over turkey meatballs or set aside to cool. Then pour into jars and refrigerate or freeze for up to 6 months.
Notes
Adapted from It's All Good

Big Batch Turkey Meatballs
 
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 large onions, chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 24 sage leaves
  • 24 fresh basil leaves
  • leaves pulled from 12 small sprigs thyme
  • leaves pulled from 2 large sprigs of tarragon
  • 3/4 cup Italian parsley
  • 3 large handfuls of arugula
  • 3 lbs ground turkey
  • 3 tsp coarse sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp cracked ground black pepper
  • Go-To Tomato Sauce
  • 6-8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse and blend the onion, garlic, herbs and arugula. If you have a smaller food processor as I did, separate and pulse in batches. Pulse until finely chopped, do not puree.
  2. Add the chopped herb mixture to the ground turkey. Sprinkle over with salt and pepper. Using your hands, thoroughly combine the ingredients together. Do not overmix.
  3. Roll or press into golf ball sized balls.
  4. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and, in batches, brown the Turkey Meatballs. This will take 2-3 minutes per side.
  5. Transfer the Turkey Meatballs to a dish lined with paper towel and blot the excess oil. Continue working in batches until the turkey meatballs are all browned.
  6. To serve, add the Turkey Meatballs and some of your Go-To Tomato Sauce to a saucepan. Warm over medium heat then simmer until the turkey is cooked through and no longer pink in the center.
  7. Serve hot over warm pasta or gluten-free brown rice pasta, polenta or on their own with a veggie side dish.
  8. Notes
  9. I browned the turkey meatballs until they were almost completely cooked. Then refrigerated the remaining meatballs and reheated them with some fresh sauce for a second great dinner two nights later.
Notes
Adapted from It's All Good, Gwyneth Paltrow

 

We’re being inundated with rain.. so I’m off to show homes to some fav clients all geared up with wellies, raincoat and umbrella in hand! I’ll be round to visit your blogs tomorrow or later this evening if I’m lucky 😀

Love, Smidge

 

 

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