Uncle Vic's Tomato Gravy (and biscuits) RECIPE

OK ... Here goes a try..... I've never measured ...

The goal is about a quart of tomato gravy out of a blender about that size.

TO BLENDER

ADD .......

2 cans of chopped/diced tomatoes

 (somebody told me recently it is great to add in about 2-4oz of tomato JUICE - hey what about v8?)

Roy Allen recently canned some tomatoes and I want to try those. They are delicious out of the jar. 

https://photos.app.goo.gl/wSxWPdDNQjtL6jJp6

add about one or two TBSP of black pepper 

(depends on taste . I've liked it both ways even spilled a gob in once and still great)

add about 1 tbsp of garlic salt.  

(add a little more garlic if you want - garlic is great. dried garlic is fine)

add about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of chopped dried onions (this adds a little texture plus the taste - they soak up the moisture pretty quick)

Blend about 5-10 seconds. More gets it to a creamy state.  You can  work out your own preference. I like mine just a bit chunky but not much.

HAVE a LARGE DEEP "fry" pan ready. Heated to very low, enough to melt butter.

Add 1/2 stick butter and get the butter melted.

NOW - add about 2 heaping TBSP FLOUR or 3 ...

 up to 4 depending if you have more or less butter.

............ stir this in to make your ROUX.  It should not brown.  Just buttery paste is the goal. Thick enough to ooze with a little consistency. Not stiff .. not watery..............  when this is ready... next step.

Pour the mixture from the blender into the pan (big pan remember).

MIX it well with a spatula - to get the Roux and the Tomato mix all mixed in well.

Now bring the heat on up to medium and watch it. Stir as you watch. Just a little now and then. Move it to keep the roux and all other ingredients mixing.

Probably in 3 or 4 minutes of slow cook low heat it will be steaming. and it is READY.

Now standby to add to your biscuits and savor the tomato gravy !

It all tastes great whether you used more onions or less or more butter and flour or less.

But you might find a happy wonder point and lock that in memory.

...............  Happy eating !

New photo by Vic Campbell

Earline Smith Crews variant from Barnett's Crossing, Alabama, on the Little Escambia River.

Vic, I start with a heaping tbs. of bacon grease, a tbs. of flour, a dash of salt, a shake of black pepper. Stir it all into an iron skillet on medium heat until the roux gets peanut butter brown. Add in a can of chopped tomatoes and some water if it is too thick. Cook on med/low for a few minutes..........biscuits, cornbread or rice. Lawdhammercy!

CREDITS:  MY MOM - Myrtle Gertrude Carswell Campbell
Mom was NEVER known as a great cook.  But she managed to lock in a few fantastic recipes that always worked if everything else failed.   Collard Greens, Flat Cornbread, Eggs aLa-Goldenrod, and TOMATO Gravy !    Those memories are preserved in the recipes we carry forward. My sister recently had a breakfast for we siblings and it was classic .... Just like mom made -- .  The recipes we WANT to remember !   Thank you, MOM !