Simple Tomato Soup (The Best Ever)

I’m completely obsessed with this tomato soup.  It’s intensely tomato-y and rich without being creamy.  It’s addicting, and it’s so simple to make.  I found out about it when I tried it at The Kitchen [Next Door], in Boulder, and then was overjoyed to see that they share their exact recipe for it online.  OVERJOYED!

So, this is very simple.  That’s a good thing.  Lots (and I mean lots) of butter give this soup its silky richness, onion is softened in that butter for a luxuriously long time, and then really high quality whole canned tomatoes are added.  San Marzanos are recommended, but we subbed in Muir Glens with great results. After all the simmering is taken care of, you puree this soup in the blender with a little splash of heavy cream.

The Kitchen serves this soup drizzled with flavorful olive oil, and a side of toasted chewy rustic bread.  It’s to die for.  If you like tomato soup, you’ve got to try this one.  My parting words – don’t be afraid of all that butter!

Simple Tomato Soup (The Best Ever)

Recipe from The Kitchen [Next Door]

• 1 1/3 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 large yellow onion
• 3 16 oz cans of high quality whole peeled tomatoes, undrained
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• salt to taste
• drizzle of high quality olive oil for serving

In a large pan, melt the butter over low heat.  Finely slice the yellow onion and add to the melting butter with a pinch of salt.  Reduce heat to very low, cover the pan, and cook onions in butter for about 30 minutes or until translucent and soft but NOT browned.

Add tomatoes with all the juices from the cans.  Increase heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

Transfer soup to a blender and puree in batches, adding cream while blending.  Taste and add more salt if desired.

Serve drizzled with olive oil and a side of crusty bread.

Tomato Basil Martini

Our Tomato Basil Martini is a remarkably light, fresh tomato cocktail for summer.  No cans of tomato juice here - muddling fresh and seasonal cherry tomatoes with a few torn basil leaves and a spritz of lemon results in a surprisingly pink dose of summer goodness.

It was only right to pair these garden flavors with an herbal liquor such as gin, which is exactly what we did.  We’ve been getting into craft distilleries lately, so for this cocktail we sampled a new to us gin from the California Bay Area.

Tomato Basil Martini

Check out our column, Locally Mixed, over at Whole Foods Market Cooking for the complete recipe!
Ingredient List:

• cherry tomatoes
• fresh basil leaves
• lemon
• sea salt
• ice
• gin

Olive & Tomato Quinoa Salad

Ripe red tomatoes, salty black olives, and fresh mozzarella are tossed with quinoa and a simple vinaigrette for an easy summertime meal.

 I’m an admirer of French cuisine (this and this are some of my cookbook staples) and I have a soft spot in my heart for summertime Provencal recipes. The kind of recipe that calls for fresh garden produce, lots of herbs, olive oil, and expensive cheese.  And of course - minimal cooking. I think this may be due to reading too many Peter Mayle novels. Is anyone with me?

Anyhow, this recipe fills the bill for summertime.  Quinoa cooks quickly so you don’t need to slave over a hot stove.  Everything else is fresh and delicious – requiring just a quick chop, then a stir into the warm quinoa. 
Don’t forget your glass of icy Pastis.

Olive & Tomato Quinoa Salad

• 1 cup dry quinoa (cooked)
  
• 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
  
• 1 cup chopped salty black olives
  
• 1 1/2 cups fresh mozzarella (we used bocconcini; the little balls)
  
• large handful chopped fresh basil
  
• scant 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
  
• scant 1/3 cup olive oil

Cook quinoa as usual (add 2 cups water, simmer for 15-20 minutes or until all water is absorbed). 
Coarsely chop cherry tomatoes, olives, fresh mozzarella, and basil.  Set aside.
Whisk oil & vinegar together in liquid measuring cup or small bowl.  Drizzle over the hot cooked quinoa and stir to combine.  Wait until the quinoa is not too hot (you don’t want to melt the mozzarella), then stir in all the chopped veggies and herbs.  Top with a pretty cherry tomato & sprig of basil and serve.

Tomato Tart

This is a delicious way to use fresh grown tomatoes when you’re looking for something a little more fancy than a simple salad.  Behold, the heirloom tomato tart:

It starts with a flaky savory pastry crust made from flour and lots of butter.

It has a very thin layer of Dijon mustard atop the flakey pastry.  It lends a very subtle piquant flavor and is topped with a layer of rich gruyere cheese.  Next, an orderly layer of sliced fresh heirloom tomatoes.

A sprinkling of fresh thyme, plus salt and pepper finishes things off.

We enjoyed ours to celebrate Sylvie’s 2nd birthday.  We told her it was French pizza, and she bought it! 

Tomato Tart

• 2 large heirloom tomatoes
• 1/2 c. thinly sliced gruyere cheese
• 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• sprinkle of salt and pepper
• drizzle of olive oil

Pastry Crust

(makes enough for 2 tarts). I love the recipe from Alice Water’s Art of Simple Food.

• 1/2 cup ice cold water
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 12 Tbsp cold butter, cubed

Combine flour, salt, and butter in food processor.  Pulse a few times; just until butter is in large irregular pieces.  Drizzle in the water bit by bit, pulsing in between, until dough forms a craggy ball.  Divide in two, shape into discs, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.  When ready to use, take out one disc and let soften on counter for 10 minutes then roll out to fit the tart pan.
Preheat oven to 425. Dollop the mustard on the dough and spread very thinly with a rubber spatula.  Arrange thinly sliced (or shredded) gruyere atop the mustard layer, followed by a layer of tomatoes.  Lay the tomatoes in concentric circles, overlapping slightly.  Sprinkle with thyme, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil.
Bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes.

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Summer in Colorado has been HOT this year.  I’ve been wracking my brain trying to think of ways to use fresh vegetables that don’t require roasting or extended cooking of any sort (because this has the unfortunate side effect of making my house feel like an oven for the rest of the day).

I have happily settled on this quinoa salad.  It is filling, cool, and full of fresh Mediterranean flavors:  tomatoes, olives, feta, red onion, and any big handfuls of herbs you care to trim from your garden.  I used chives, mint, basil, and parsley.



Another fun fact: this is a really great recipe to deliver to new mothers.  Dulcie and I have each made this recipe for a friend with a newborn (Hi Rachel! Hi Kristi!) and it was a hit…we think!  It doesn’t need to be eaten immediately, is meant to be eaten cold or room temperature, and is low on the sorts of things some nursing mothers need to avoid (gluten, soy, egg, and dairy -- the feta is easily omitted).

Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Dressing:

• 1/4 c. apple cider vinegar (although I’ve made it with white balsamic and think I might actually prefer that, so feel free to experiment here)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• juice from 1 lemon
• 3 Tbsp olive oil

Salad:

• 1 1/2 c. quinoa (measured dry, then cooked according to usual directions)
• 1/2 c. chopped kalamata olives
• 1 red onion, diced
• 1 c. fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1/2 c. (or more, to taste) crumbled feta cheese
• 1 c. chopped mixed herbs (parsley, mint, basil, cilantro, and chives are all excellent)

Cook quinoa according to usual directions (I do 1:2 ratio of quinoa to water).  Fluff and let quinoa cool as you prepare the other ingredients.
For dressing: combine all ingredients in a large liquid measuring cup and whisk.  Feel free to use a fork if you want to save a dirty dish – I did.
Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl, pour over the dressing, and toss to combine.

Homemade Ketchup

The season of outdoor grilling is finally upon us, so we decided it was time to attempt some homemade ketchup!

We scoured the internet for recipes, looking for one that would be similar in texture to a bottled ketchup. Let's face it: Heinz knows what they're doing. In fact, the always excellent New Yorker did a piece several years back which details why Heinz's ketchup is our taste buds' wet dream. It his all five of our fundamental tastes, including that elusive little minx known as umami. So while it seems strange to aspire to Heinz, that ketchup is boss.

The recipe we found that seemed most like what we wanted was over at Serious Eats. Their recipe called for tomato puree, but we only found crushed tomatoes at our little local market. We knew we were going to whip it all up in a food processor anyway, so we decided to proceed. When we tasted our finished product, we were a little wowed by the sweetness. But we were tasting the ketchup straight up, without the usual implement of a salty French fry. When we did a taste test with Heinz's organic ketchup, we were surprised to find out that the Heinz was just as sweet. (Oh, so that is why my toddler wants to spoon it straight into her mouth.)

If I were to make it again, I'd reduce the amount of sugar, even if just by a bit (and if you are concerned about sugar content, I'd urge you to do the same). Sweetness aside, the homemade ketchup was brighter and zestier than the Heinz, while the Heinz had a stronger tomato paste taste. In our version, you could really taste the different spices, while it is a bit of a muddle in the Heinz. There's nothing like the convenience of having that bottle of Heinz in the back of your fridge (which seemingly lasts forever - yipes!) but homemade ketchup is a super tasty and lasts a month -- lasting through more than a few backyard get-togethers.

Homemade Ketchup

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 small onion, chopped medium

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

• 1/4 cup cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard

• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

• 1/8 teaspoon allspice

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Heat oil in sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, bring to boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer until thick, stirring occasionally, for 45 to 60 minutes. 

2. Puree in food processor until smooth. 

3. Wash and dry saucepan, then place a fine mesh strainer over top. Pour ketchup in the strainer and, using a spatula, force through all of the ketchup. 

4. Taste ketchup and adjust seasonings if necessary. Pour ketchup into a jar, seal, and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.