Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

1 chopped onion

1 chopped red bell pepper

2 Tbsp neutral oil

1 Tbsp chopped garlic

1 Tbsp tomato paste

one 28-ounce can whole tomatoes (roughly chopped, with their juice)

⅓ cup brown sugar

¼ cup cider vinegar

½ tsp ground mustard

⅛ tsp each ground allspice, ground cloves, cayenne and cinnamon 

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper

Method:

1. In a large pot over medium heat, sauté onion and red bell pepper in oil until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. 
2. Add garlic and tomato paste, and stir until the paste darkens a bit, 2 or 3 minutes. 
3. Add chopped tomatoes, brown sugar, cider vinegar, mustard, allspice, cloves, cayenne and cinnamon, a bay leaf, salt and pepper. 
4. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about an hour. 
5. Let cool for a few minutes, then purée in a blender until completely smooth. (For supersmooth ketchup, pass it through a fine-mesh strainer.) 
6. Taste, adjust the seasoning and store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.