Mom's Lecho

Blanch 1.5 kg of tomatoes: score the bottom with an X, dunk them in boiling water for about a minute, then transfer to cold water and peel. Grate the tomatoes on a box grater or run them through a food mill.

Core the peppers and remove the seeds, then cut into chunks whatever size you prefer. Peel the garlic.

Pour the tomato juice into a pot and bring to a boil. Add all the peppers and garlic to the boiling juice along with salt and sugar, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Chop the remaining tomatoes into pieces—leave small ones whole or halve them. Add them to the simmering lecho and cook until the peppers are tender, about 20–30 minutes.