Chilled Tomato Soup
Sweet and deeply flavorful, this chilled soup from Martha Stewart is perfect for a hot summer’s night.
Ingredients:
6 mixed sweet peppers
2½ pounds heirloom tomatoes
1 Walla Walla sweet onion, minced
2 cups chicken stock
½ cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Fresh herbs for garnish, such as chopped parsley, thyme and oregano
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the peppers and tomatoes on a baking sheet, and roast until they are slightly charred, about 30 minutes.
2. Peel, and core the peppers and tomatoes. Transfer the flesh to the jar of a blender; set aside.
3. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil. Add onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add to the blender, and purée until smooth. Pass the mixture through a food mill fitted with a medium disk into a large bowl. Stir in the stock, orange juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Cover, and refrigerate until chilled. Serve garnished with herbs.
Chilled Tomato & Peach Soup
This creamy, cold soup is bursting with spicy appeal.
Ingredients:
4 heirloom tomatoes, quartered
2 donut peaches, pitted and quartered
1 garlic clove, minced
1 medium shallot, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
¾ cup heavy cream
4 teaspoons sugar
Pinch cayenne pepper, or, to taste
Sea salt
Method:
1. In a large stockpot, sweat garlic and shallots with olive oil over medium-low heat until fragrant and translucent. Add in peaches, tomatoes, thyme and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a simmer and cook until tomatoes and peaches break down, about 15 minutes, using the back of a wooden spoon to help mash them up.
2. Remove from heat and remove thyme. Working in batches, purée soup in batches until smooth. Transfer soup back to pot by straining through a fine mesh strainer.
3. Bring heat back to medium-low and add cream, sugar and cayenne pepper. Check for seasoning and adjust cream, sugar or cayenne levels as desired. Simmer on low for about 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Then, remove from heat and allow to cool before transferring to the fridge. Serve cold, with chopped fresh herbs over top.
Chilled Pea Soup
Cooking the peas briefly retains their vibrant color, while the addition of fresh herbs keeps the finished soup tasting bright.
Ingredients:
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth, divided
6 cups shelled fresh peas
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 sweet onion, chopped
¼ cup fresh Italian parsley leaves
¼ cup fresh mint leaves
¼ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
2 tablespoons heavy cream or water
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Chopped fresh chives (for serving)
Method:
1. Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 6-8 minutes. Add 2 cups broth and bring to a boil. Add peas, reduce heat, and simmer gently until tender, about 5 minutes.
2. Remove pot from heat. Add parsley, mint, and remaining 2 cups broth to pot. Purée soup in a blender or with an immersion blender, thinning with water if soup is too thick, until smooth. Season soup with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to serve.
3. Whisk crème fraîche and cream in a small bowl to blend. Serve chilled soup topped with chives, passing crème fraîche mixture alongside for spooning over.
Fresh Heirloom Tomato Soup
Splashed with a touch of cream, this soup lovingly combines heirloom tomatoes, fresh carrots and seasonal corn.
Ingredients:
12 medium heirloom tomatoes, quartered
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 large carrot, chopped
1 cup fresh corn
¼ cup loosely-packed basil leaves
5 ½ cups chicken stock
â…“ cup heavy whipping cream
Sea salt
Method:
1. In a stockpot, sauté onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes, carrot, corn, basil and salt.
2. Stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tomatoes are softened, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly.
3. In a food processor, process soup in batches until smooth. Return all to pan and heat through. Ladle into bowls; drizzle each with 3/4 teaspoon cream.
Slow-Roasted Sungold Cherry Tomatoes
Incredibly sweet and juicy, these roasted beauties are wonderful atop crostini.
Ingredients:
1 pound Sungold cherry tomatoes, or a mixture of both cherry tomatoes and diced heirloom tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 300°. Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the tomatoes with oil, then season with salt and pepper. Transfer the tomatoes to the prepared rack
2. Roast the tomatoes until skins are shriveled but tomatoes are still plump, about 1 1/2 hours. Let tomatoes and their juices cool to room temperature.
Variations: For added punch, toss tomatoes with your favorite fresh herb, such as thyme or oregano, or minced garlic, before roasting.
Tomato Fritters
A favorite throughout the Mediterranean, these delightfully-crisp nibbles are a wonderful pairing for a summer salad.
Ingredients:
3 cups ripe heirloom or cherry tomatoes, or a mixture of both, grated or finely chopped
3 purple scallions, purple and tender green parts, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, finely chopped
4 tablespoons fresh mint, finely chopped
Pinch of cinnamon (optional)
1¼-1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil or vegetable oil for frying
Method:
1. In a large bowl, mix together the grated or chopped tomatoes, scallions, herbs, cinnamon if using, salt and pepper. Combine 1¼ cups of the flour and the baking powder in a small bowl and add it to the tomatoes, mixing well. Add flour if necessary to give the mixture the consistency of a thick batter. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
2. Heat about 1 ½ inches of oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, drop a tablespoon of the batter at a time into the skillet and fry the tomato fritters on both sides until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels. Serve hot.
Slow-Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes
Slow-roasting these beautiful tomatoes concentrates their unique flavor—try these with a drizzle of pesto!
Ingredients:
1 pound heirloom tomatoes
2 tablespoons ultra-fine sugar
1 tablespoons green peppercorns
Good quality olive oil
Sea salt
Method:
1. Cut off the stem end of the tomato and then slice it into approximately ½-inch slices. When all the tomatoes are sliced, place them on a rimmed sheet pan and brush or drizzle olive oil over each tomato slice.
2. Mix the sugar and the salt together. Sprinkle some of the sugar/salt mixture on each tomato. In a mortar, grind the peppercorns until very crushed but not totally pulverized, then sprinkle over tomatoes.
3. Put the pan of tomatoes into a 175° oven for about 3 hours until caramelized.
Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes
As good as heirloom tomatoes are fresh, roasting them concentrates their flavor even more!
Ingredients:
1½-2 pounds assorted heirloom tomatoes
2 shallots, each quartered
4 garlic cloves, peeled
¼ cup olive oil
2 teaspoons freshly-chopped thyme leaves, plus 3 sprigs fresh thyme
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 450°.
2. In a large baking dish, arrange the tomatoes, shallots and garlic in a single layer. Drizzle the vegetables evenly with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the chopped thyme and nestle the thyme sprigs around the tomatoes.
3. Roast the tomatoes until they are softened but still hold their shape, 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through the cooking time. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Italian Vegetable Soup
A deeply flavorful soup, thanks to the addition of fresh herbs, Corona beans and our housemade chicken stock.
Ingredients:
2 cups Corona beans, rinsed and soaked in a large stock pot of water overnight
2 leeks, trimmed of tough tops and ends, then diced
2-4 cloves garlic, minced
½-1 winter squash of your choice, peeled, seeded and cut into bite-sized cubes
1 cup Bolero carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup fingerling potatoes, washed and cut into bite-sized cubes
4 cups canned diced Italian plum tomatoes
4 cups F&L chicken stock
3-4 cups water
½ cup white wine (if desired)
3-6 tablespoons combined chopped rosemary, parsley and thyme
2 cups spinach leaves, washed and torn if large
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Method:
1. Drain beans, rinse and set aside. Rinse out the stock pot and place it on the stove, turning the heat to medium-high. Add leeks and garlic, drizzling with the olive oil. Cook until leeks are translucent and garlic is fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
2. Once leeks are cooked, add in beans, water, wine (if using) and chicken stock. Generously season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer 30-40 minutes, or until the beans are almost done. Add squash, carrots, potatoes and diced tomatoes and bring soup back to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15-20 more minutes, until the vegetables and beans are tender. Check for seasoning and add more salt and pepper if necessary.
3. Turn off heat and add in fresh herbs and spinach. Serve with grated Grana-style cheese alongside.
Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Herb Crème Fraîche
This soup is the epitome of fall comfort food.
Ingredients:
1, 2-2½ pound Winter Density pumpkin, quartered and seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons sea salt, plus additional
for seasoning the soup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup diced Cipollini onion
1 cup diced Yukon Gold potatoes
1 garlic cloves, crushed
4 cups chicken stock
Fresh ground pepper
For Herb Crème Fraîche:
¾ cup crème fraîche, plus additional for garnish
2 teaspoons each fresh parsley (finely chopped) and thyme leaves
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Place pumpkin quarters in a baking dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season with 2 teaspoons sea salt and fresh ground pepper. Roast at 350° for 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Scoop out cooked pumpkin and reserve.
2. Heat butter and remaining oil in a large stock pot. Add onion and garlic and
season with a pinch of sea salt. Sweat over low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring often. Do not brown.
3. Add the chicken stock, potatoes, and roasted pumpkin and season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to a simmer, and cover, cooking for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are very tender.
4. While soup is cooking, combine crème fraîche with fresh herbs and season with salt and pepper. Once soup is ready, purée it in batches in a food processor (or with an immersion blender). Stir in ¾ cup of crème fraîche. Add more chicken stock as necessary to achieve desired consistency. Garnish each serving with reserved crème fraîche.