When researching my ancestors, I sometimes come across little discoveries that have nothing to do with the major milestones of their lives but tell me something about who they were as people. A newspaper clipping, an old photograph, or a passing mention of a favorite pastime can offer a glimpse into their everyday world. And occasionally, those discoveries reveal interests that we still share generations later.

Such is the case with my 2X great grandmother, Melissa Maria (Walker, Fuller) Gurin (1849–1920).

Melissa lived most of her adult life in Adrian, Lenawee County, Michigan, and apparently had quite an interest in gardening. Among family photographs is a wonderful old picture of her standing in a beautiful flower garden. I don’t know when the photograph was taken, but I love imagining how much time she must have spent tending those flowers.

And, as luck would have it, I found a little newspaper clipping that tells me gardening wasn’t simply a passing interest.

In the December 15, 1899, edition of the Daily Telegram in Adrian, Michigan, Melissa was listed as a member of the executive committee of the local garden club. She was 50 years old at the time.

I actually found another newspaper article some time ago that included a recipe for salsa credited to Melissa, which makes me wonder whether she also grew tomatoes. Unfortunately, I shared that particular article on Facebook, and since I’ve since deleted my account, I haven’t been able to put my hands on it again.

But I wonder, what did she grow? Did she preserve vegetables for the winter? Did she have favorite recipes that she passed along to her children?

Those are the little details of family history that fascinate me.

And that brings me to the tomatoes.

This past weekend, my youngest son and his girlfriend, visited a local farm to pick vegetables. Neither of them particularly likes tomatoes, so guess who became the lucky recipient of their freshly-picked bounty?

Me!

And these weren’t your ordinary grocery-store tomatoes.

They were beautiful, heavy, meaty tomatoes with that wonderful fresh-from-the-garden flavor that you just can’t seem to duplicate with the ones you buy at the supermarket. When I started cutting them up, I couldn’t get over how substantial they were.

There was only one sensible thing to do.

Make homemade spaghetti sauce.

Now, before you imagine me standing over a simmering pot for six hours, let me assure you that this recipe is ridiculously easy. In fact, once you’ve made spaghetti sauce with roasted fresh tomatoes, you might find yourself looking at those jars in the grocery store a little differently.

The ingredients are simple: fresh tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning, basil, feta cheese, and a little salt. For this particular batch, I also added some crushed red pepper flakes, which gave the finished sauce just a hint of warmth.

The finished sauce can be served over your favorite pasta, and if you make more than you need, it can also be frozen for another meal.

As I was putting together this blog post, I found myself thinking again about Melissa and her flower garden.

I have no idea whether she ever made spaghetti sauce, and I certainly can’t claim that this recipe was handed down through the generations. It wasn’t.

But I do love the connection between a woman who enjoyed gardening in 1899 and her 2X great granddaughter, who found such pleasure in a box of freshly-picked, locally-grown tomatoes in 2026.

Perhaps that’s one of my favorite things about researching family history. Sometimes the connections aren’t found in grand historical events or remarkable accomplishments.

Sometimes they’re found in the simplest things.

A photograph of a woman in her garden.

A century-old newspaper clipping.

A thoughtful gift of tomatoes from two people I love.

And a delicious homemade spaghetti sauce.

More than 125 years separate Melissa’s garden club membership from my afternoon in the kitchen. But I’d like to think we might have had something to talk about over a basket of freshly picked tomatoes.

And who knows? Maybe she would have asked me for the recipe!

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Fresh Roasted Tomato and Feta Spaghetti Sauce

This is one of those recipes that doesn’t require exact measurements. Adjust the ingredients depending on how many tomatoes you have and your personal preferences.

Ingredients

• Fresh tomatoes, any combination of large and cherry varieties
• Olive oil
• Minced garlic
• Italian seasoning
• Dried basil leaves
• Feta cheese, crumbled or in a block
• Salt to taste
• Crushed red pepper flakes, optional

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
2. Wash the tomatoes thoroughly. Cut larger tomatoes into chunks and halve smaller cherry tomatoes.
3. Arrange the tomatoes in an oven-safe baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and basil.
4. Roast for approximately 15 minutes.
5. Add the crumbled feta cheese and return the dish to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft and the cheese has melted. If using a whole block of feta, allow additional time as needed.
6. Carefully transfer the roasted mixture, including the flavorful juices, to a food processor and blend until smooth.
7. Taste and add salt as needed. For a little extra warmth, add a sprinkling of crushed red pepper flakes.
8. Serve over your favorite pasta and enjoy!

A little tip: If you prefer a chunkier sauce, pulse the food processor rather than blending everything completely smooth.

This sauce freezes beautifully, making it a wonderful way to enjoy the flavor of fresh tomatoes long after the growing season has ended.