Heirloom tomato soup
Should you have the good fortune of having way too many tomatoes, you need to make this. Actually, you should consciously create a tomato overload, so you will have very little choice in the matter and will have to make this soup. It has a short ingredient list, but the magic is in the perfectly ripe tomatoes and simplicity. I know we are technically in fall, but as long as the nights don't cool too much, there should be tomatoes for another few weeks. In other words, no lollygagging here. Get thee to the market asap and make this by the potful. You will not regret it.
Heirloom tomato soup
serves 4, adapted every so slightly from April Bloomfield's A Girl and Her Pig
ps: I was so busy eating, I forgot to take a picture of the final soup...it's THAT good. Also, I do think the Maldon salt makes a difference. It has a wonderful briny ocean saltiness that is delicious here, but don't fret if you only have sea salt. It will do quite nicely.
3 lbs ripe heirloom tomatoes
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
small bunch of basil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil + 2 TBS
1/4 cup of water/broth
1-2 TBS Maldon sea salt
You'll see in the pictures about that there is one large tomato that I remembered to cut horizontally to make getting the seeds and pulp out easier. Core the tomatoes and then cut in half horizontally. Set a colander over a bowl and poke out the seeds and pulp with your fingers. Using the back of a spoon, squeeze as much liquid through the colander catching the tomato juice with the bowl. (See set-up in picture). Reserve the tomato juice. In a large heavy soup pot, combine 3 TBS olive oil and garlic and warm over medium heat. As soon as the garlic sizzles and starts to brown, add the tomatoes, 5 basil leaves, and 1 TBS salt. Give everything a stir. Add reserved tomato juice and water and cover. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Once the tomatoes look like they are swimming in their own juices, remove lid and let simmer for another 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat. Add remaining basil and 1/4 cup olive oil and blend until smooth. A Vitamix makes it crazy smooth and creamy, but any blender or immersion blender will do. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt as necessary. Serve.
