This week I am featuring what I am hungry for, fresh tomato soup. I had big plans
to feature breaded tomatoes. I thought the recipe was in my cookbook, but I
have found that I’ve never really documented a recipe for my breaded tomato
dish. I guess in the next 2-3 weeks I need to get one recorded. This time of the
year soups still taste good on the cooler evenings. Tomato, Asparagus and carrot
soups are great spring flavors to feature in lighter soup formats.
There are so many different ways to take a traditional recipe and enhance it for
the palate. With the cream of tomato I think about smoking just a few whole
tomatoes and mixing a few smoked in with the regular tomatoes. Or, how about
putting fresh smoked onion or celery into this dish. Don’t smoke anything else
but one ingredient and you can just make a dish set up and ‘sing’, as I always say.
When I was growing up mom never thickened her tomato soups and she ‘never’
added cheese to this soup. I enjoy just a little undertone of cheese in this, but
feel free to leave it out entirely. The baking soda is to assist with the acidity level
of the soup. As summer approaches reach for fresh basil from your herb garden
instead of dried.
Did I say herb garden? Yes, yes, I did! I put mine out this past week and I’ve got
two varieties of basil, oregano, chives, mint and one other herb I can’t recall at
this moment. It is so wonderful to snip herbs from your own garden during the
summer and early fall months. I surrounded mine with marigolds to help with
bug control, armadillos, squirrels or any foreign unwanted creatures who might
wander into my rather large herb pot. This week I was also setting a few
flowering bulbs. I did this Monday and on Friday when I was putting out the
herbs I discovered some critter had already dug up a couple of my bulbs!!!
We had a little bit of weather concerns in our area this past week, but nothing like
many other Midwestern communities. Actually it’s been a beautiful week and
just about everything in the south is in full spring bloom. You look through the
forest and see purple, yellow and white blooms everywhere. (I live in the
National Forest.) Now I’m waiting on the fresh rhubarb to arrive. To me Vidalia
onions, rhubarb and asparagus are the signal that spring has really arrived. We
had burgers on the grill last night with sautéed onions, but it won’t be at level #1
until the Vidalia’s arrive!
A few weeks ago I commented on how Table Rock Lake was low. Not anymore,
we are filled back up and the fish are biting according to local fishing guides. I’m
working on my tackle box at the moment and I am determined to check this out
for myself in the days to come. Dinner needs to be checked so I’d best set the
recipe and scurry back to full kitchen duty. Have a blessed week and squeeze the
most out of every day! Simply yours, The Covered Dish.
www.thecovereddish.com
1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes with garlic and onions
1 quart of tomatoes or 1 (14.5 oz.) can store bought whole tomatoes
2-3 tablespoons butter
1 pint of milk, (I used 2%)
1 pint of fat free half and half, sure use regular
Dried basil to taste
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup milk, for thickening
3 tablespoons flour
You will be using 2 separate pans to start this soup. Place the quart of tomatoes
in a blender and smoothly mix, add about 2/3’s of the diced tomato blend. Blend
these smooth. Pour the smooth tomato mixture and the remaining tomato pieces
into a saucepan with the basil and pepper. In another saucepan heat 1 cup of
milk, 1 cup of half and half, butter and soda. When both saucepans have reached
about the same temperature combine the tomatoes into the milk mixture. Stir to
blend, add cheese, and mix until smooth. After the soup is thoroughly warm you
can whisk the flour into the remaining cup of milk. Add the slurry to the soup and
continue with a whisk or spoon until smooth. Do not allow to boil. Don’t leave
tomato soup unattended as it can get too hot very very quickly.
Sometimes I add onions and peppers which I have sautéed in a small amount of
butter, celery is another good addition. The truth is every time I make tomato
soup the recipe is slightly different. Sometimes I don’t puree the tomatoes as
much and I leave more pieces floating. Do what pleases you the most. Debbie
