Nana called on Saturday. From the kitchen I could hear Desmond's side of the conversation:
Not so good.
I have a harlot fever.
A harlot fever.
A harlot fever.
To cut to the chase, he's sick, with Scarlet Fever. Did you know that people still got scarlet fever (and that my son's brain autofills for the word, harlot)? Me neither. So comfort foods (and not writing) have been at the top of our list this week. There have been tons of action-packed smoothies and miso soup with tofu to slither right down a sore throat. It turns out that scarlet fever is basically strep throat with a rash. Who knew?
I also recently discovered that my first born son's favorite meal is spaghetti with marinara sauce. Totally dull, I know, but we'll cut him some slack because he's five and he's got the harlot fever.
Here's our current family recipe. It's super simple and nicely balanced with a big ol' carrot adding a touch of nutritional variety as well as some mild sweetness to offset tart tomatoes. It's a great basic sauce to smother ravioli or dip a calzone or stir into baked ziti or just put on top of some curly whole grain pasta to please the simple palate of a sick kid.
Super Easy Tomato (Carrot!) Sauce
makes: about 3 cups sauce
takes: about 35 minutes (5 active)
- 1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes
- 1/4 cup water (splash it around the can to get all the good stuff out)
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- salt to taste
In a medium sauce pan bring all ingredients to a simmer. Stir and break up the tomatoes with a spoon. Simmer until the carrots and garlic are soft (you'll be able to smash them against the side of the pan with the a spoon) and the whole thing has reduced a bit and smells wonderful - about 30 minutes. Puree until smooth and taste for salt.
