Serves six. This is good to squirrel away for times when fresh tomatoes are a memory.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

3 sprigs flat-leaf parsley

5 basil leaves

3 pounds unpeeled ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into chunks.

2 teaspoons salt or to taste

1/2 teaspoon white pepper or to taste

Directions:

Warm olive oil; add onions and saut é on medium heat about 8-10 minutes, until onions are tender and translucent. Add garlic and saut é 2 minutes more.

Tie parsley and basil together with kitchen twine. Stir into onions along with tomatoes. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are tender.

Puree in a food mill. Season with salt and pepper. If tomatoes are tart, add a pinch of sugar.

Optional seasonings: pinches of cayenne pepper or ground cloves.

Serve hot or cold, garnished with croutons.