by Ali on September 5, 2010
If you spend any time at a local market with a lack of willpower this month you’ll probably have an abundance of tomatoes and corn. More than you know what to do with!
Here’s an easy delicious soup
ingredients
olive oil
2 leeks, white parts only, washed and finely chopped
5 large tomatoes (I used 4 cups of my roasted tomatoes)
2 tbsp of all-purpose flour
2 ears of corn, kernels removed and cobs cut in half and reserved
a bunch of fresh basil
3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
salt and pepper
In a large pot warm oil, add leeks, and saute for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, then the flour stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add the corn kernels, cobs and stock. Bring to simmer and cover for 25 minutes.
Discard cobs. In a blender or food processor puree soup in batches. DO NOT add all the soup to the food processor! As I learned, it doesn’t hold a lot of soup before it starts to leak everywhere! Once all the soup has been pureed, pass the soup through a fine-mesh sieve and back into the pot or a serving dish. Add chopped basil and season to taste.
You can also put the soup in the fridge for 4 ish hours and serve chilled.
by Ali on August 21, 2010
I love tomatoes. This time of year they are in abundance. My dad’s garden is starting to produce and the farmers market has a huge array.
They are delicious simply sliced and sprinkled with sea salt and pepper, or make a wonderful sandwich all by themselves. The taste is so fresh and wonderful it seems a shame to cook them, but when you can’t help yourself and buy a basket of tomatoes, you need to do something with them.
I think homemade tomato sauce is one of the most satisfying things to make.
Seriously, make this. It’s simple, easy and tastes like you spent hours slaving.
Roasted Tomato Sauce
Tomatoes, lots of them, cut in half or left whole if the are small.
5 cloves of garlic (more/less depending on your taste)
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
add tomatoes and peeled garlic to a large roasting pan. Drizzle liberally with olive oil and balsamic. Good pinch of sea salt and fresh ground pepper.
Roast slowly, probably about 3 hours at a low temp, 225 degrees.
The smell will fill the house. Mouthwatering.
They look something like this when they are done. Then I puree them in the food processor add some fresh basil and presto a fabulous tomato sauce that’s rich and delicious. Or freeze to make fresh sauce on a cold, tomatoless winter day.
I cooked some gnocchi, little potato dumpling like pasta. Used my new giada de laurentiis pasta scoop (it’s a cross between a strainer and a ladle) to drain the taste little suckers.
top generously with roasted tomato sauce and parmesan cheese.
Bon appetite!
by Ali on August 13, 2010
Jamie Oliver claims, at least by name, this is The Best Pasta Salad. I have no arguments.
I served it with slices for fresh field grown heirloom tomatoes from the market, cause at this time of year, I can never have too much tomato. Finished it off with a drizzle* of balsamic and chilli reduction.
* my new fancy redone kitchen is making me use words like drizzle and reduction
