Rustic Creamy Tomato Soup

Is your garden bursting with tomatoes? Ours sure is. We actually didn't plant anything this year because we were moving during the prime preparation season. The first day after we'd settled into our new place, we noticed that the previous owners had planted an entire raised bed garden's worth of cherry tomatoes.

We have several pints a day ripening up. And our CSA is proving some heirlooms of all different varieties. Take a look at this bounty! Talk about local color, right?

In the past, I've made Tangy BBQ Sauce to freeze, I've slow roasted tomatoes to marry with warm quinoa salad, and I've even combined tomatoes with white wine for a Boozy + Bold Chunky Pasta Sauce. I've also made various tomato soup recipes, but I've never quite gotten the flavor right. I love Panera's thick and creamy tomato soup, so I decided I'd try my best to replicate it as closely as possible.

I actually succeeded using a lazy roux.

And now you can, too!


RUSTIC CREAMY TOMATO SOUP
Vegan option. Makes 6 cups of soup.

What you'll need . . .

• 5 cups chopped assorted tomatoes
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 cups water
• 1 to 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
• 1/3 cup all purpose flour
• 3 tablespoons Earth Balance or butter
• 1/2 cup almond milk (or substitute)
• 1/4 Parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast
• salt + pepper to taste

Method . . .

1. Chop tomatoes coarsely (I left the cores in and skin on, hence the "rustic" title) and put them in a large, non-reactive stockpot with the onions, garlic, water, and soy sauce. 
2. Cook over medium-high heat until boiling, then bring down to a simmer and cook for 15-30 minutes, smashing with a spoon to release juices and break up fruit.
3. Let cool and then transfer to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. (It will still be somewhat chunky because the skin is in there -- but that's good!)
4. In you stock pot, melt the Earth Balance or butter and combine it with the flour. Whisk and then add in the milk a little at a time until it makes a thick paste. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Then add your pureed soup in batches, whisking to combine with this roux.
6. Then add in your Parmesan or nutritional yeast.
7. Let cook on the stove and have the flavors mingle for and 15 minutes or so. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Serve with delicious crusty no-knead loaf.

My soup turned out orange because I used so many different color tomatoes, but yours might be a rich red, a bright yellow, or even green, depending on which fruits you use. Whatever the case, we ate one Ball jar up right away and froze the other (after letting it cool completely in the glass jar) to eat later.

Which reminds me! I'm doing another freezer month of dinners and other foods, hopefully in time for September. I'm planning my big cook for this weekend, and I hope to share the recipes in the weeks following. It's that time of year when the days are getting shorter, the weather's getting cooler, and having some extra meals stocked up just makes sense.

What's your favorite way to use up tomatoes?

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An Ode to Sandwiches

Oh man, oh man. We were not expecting what we found in the house inspection last week. The place we had our hearts set on ended up being way more than we could handle with regard to DIY. In fact, it ended up being somewhat of an unsafe environment. So, we're waiting on pins and needles to hear the results of the inspection on our home to see if everything is going to run smoothly now that we've found yet another house we love.

Anyway, I have so much I want to share about food these days. But I also realize I'm going to have to buy a new camera charger because mine is long gone! Enough apologies. I have a goal.

By the end of the summer, I'd like to be able to make my favorite sandwich -- tomato, pesto, mozzarella on sourdough -- from scratch. I know I could likely do it sooner, but with everything going on right now, I'll wait to earn my badge in cheese-making.

Well, I also likely won't have tomatoes from my own garden this year, so maybe I'll use one from a friend's garden. But I'd say we eat this simple sandwich once a week. It's sort of our weekend treat. The one time we go to Wegmans.

And I'll tell you what -- after shopping (and saving!) at Aldi for so long, going to Wegmans is an out-of-this-world experience. With some time away, I can totally, TOTALLY see why I always over-spend there.

This sandwich will require:

#1. // Some simple sourdough bread, and I'll need to begin from scratch with a new starter. This time around, I'd like to use the wild grapes method.

#2. // A ball of homemade mozzarella cheese. I've been wanting to make my own cheese for quite some time. It's one of my favorite foods, and I've read that mozzarella is a great gateway cheese.

#3. // A batch of one of my many pesto sauces. Though for this sandwich, I'd probably go with a classic basil pesto. I can't wait to start getting all that basil in our farm share. I'm going to promptly make pesto and freeze. I swear we eat some every single day!


I guess I'll get bonus points if we can also make a batch of beer and some black and white cookies. Right? Stephen is itching to brew again -- especially now that we might potentially have more space to sprawl out and store his creations. (Have you checked out our homebrewing section yet?)

// SANDWICHES = AMAZING

Regardless, sandwiches are my favorite food:

• French Toast Brunch Sandwich
• Vegan Spiedie Wrap
• Hickory Smoked Seitan Sandwich
• Avocado Egg Salad
• Marinaded Mozzarella Sandwich
• Vegetarian Reuben
• Open-Faced Asparagus + Tofu Sandwich
• Vegan New Luther Sandwich*
• Black Bean-Tempeh Burgers*
• Vegan Churchkey New Luther MEGA Sandwich*
• Black Bean-Spinach Burgers*
• Caprese Sandwich
• Moosewood Asparagus Melt
• The Ultimate Vegetarian Sandwich
• The Ultimate Stuffed Veggie Burger
• Open-Face Portabella Sandwich
• Vegan Sloppy Joes*
• Green Hummus Sandwich
• Apple-Cheese Bagel Sandwich
• Chickpea Burgers*
• Vegetarian Juicy Lucy
• Veggie Behemoth: The Lover Sandwich
• High Maintenance Melt
• Mayo-Less Egg Salad
• Black Bean Burgers*
• Fire-Grilled Camp Sandwich
• Gourmet Grilled Pizza
• Hummus Melts
• Seitan Dogs, Part I: The Dogs*
• Seitan Dogs, Part II: Toppings

* means VEGAN

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Weeknight Pizza Tricks

As you guys know, one of our weeknight staples is pizza. I'd say we eat pizza at least twice or three times a week. So, I guess you could say somewhere in those 130 or so pies we make at home each year, we've picked up a few tricks.

Here are the top 5 for busy weeknights.

#1. Use Cornmeal

We usually make our pumpkin garlic knots crust or substitute all water for the pumpkin puree, depending on what we have in the pantry. But a trick we picked up over the years is to always roll out our dough with cornmeal. Not only does it help with transferring the dough to the pizza stone (another necessity!), but it always give the crust a nice crunch.

#2. Fold It Up

From there, transferring the dough to the pizza stone is made easy -- even without a pizza peel -- by gently folding the rolled out dough in half and then in half again. We simply place the quarter down on the stone and then unfold and reposition quickly.

#3: Get Saucy 

Since it's not tomato season, I usually cook up some type of homemade sauce using canned tomatoes. On busy weeknights when I just don't have the time, I improvise. My favorite makeshift sauce these days? A mix of half salsa and half barbecue sauce. Certainly has a nice zing to it!

#4. Top Heavily

Along with a generous heap of roasted veggies, we like topping all our homemade pizzas with cold avocado slices. Not only do the vegetables and avocado add lots of good-for-you nutrients, but they also help us justify eating pizza more often. This particular example isn't teeming with as many toppings as we usually enjoy, so if you'd like to see a better example of a loaded pizza, check out this lightened up recipe.

#5. Garnish Wisely

And with all those toppings, you need more sauce. We always have a bottle of hot sauce nearby, whether it's standard Frank's Red Hot (have you guys tried our Vegan Tofu Wings?) or spicy Sriracha.  I also like ranch dressing or even a quick side of this 5-minute tomato sauce.

// MORE TIPS + RECIPES

Brie-Stuffed Pumpkin Garlic Rolls
Pumpkin Deep Dish Pizza
Pesto Pizza Dough
Veggie-Topped Pizza, Lightened Up
Cornmeal + Flax GF Pizza Crust
Pumpkin Pesto Rolls

Pesto Garlic Knots
Ring-O-Fire Garlic Knots
Baked Flatbread w/ Sweet Onions, Collards, and Brie
Garbanzo Garlic Knots
Chickpea-Carrot Pizza Crust*
Brie Stuffed-Crust Pizza
Veggie Stromboli
Pizza Rustica
BEETza Pizza
Pumpkin Garlic Knots
Gluten-Free Pizza Experiment
Deep Dish Veggie Tart/Pizza
Grilled Pizza Basics

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Rustic + Grilled Kalamata Tomato Sauce

So, I've got my pesto pizza crust ready to go. But no sauce or tomato puree in sight. 
Oh, crap! No mozzarella either. 
A half container of ricotta left, but it'll go South starting tomorrow. 
Must use tonight. Hmm. 
Wait. What's this? I spy a sleeve of kalamata tomatoes! 
Looks like the basil plant is doing well from all the rain we've had lately, too.

Drip, drip.

Basically, you've all just taken a trip inside my head around dinnertime. I've been wanting to fire up the grill and take our pizza adventures to the great outdoors, but it seems like afternoon thunderstorms are always in my way. This weekend. It's going to be epic -- the grilled bruschetta pizza I'll make. Promise!

But in a pinch, using what we had on hand last Thursday allowed us to go beyond our usual roasted veggies and cheese-heavy pie.

BOOM!


RUSTIC (INDOOR) GRILLED TOMATO SAUCE 
goes great atop pesto pizza crust or on any other pizza recipe

What you'll need . . .

• 6 to 8 kalamata tomatoes (you may use whatever tomatoes you have, though! the heartier, the better.)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt + pepper
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon each dried oregano + rosemary

Method . . . 

1. Chop your tomatoes head to toe into thick slices (about four per tomato). Toss into a large bowl with the olive oil and other ingredients. Toss around until well coated.
2. Preheat your grilling pan* for about 5 minutes on medium-high heat. Then plan your tomatoes atop the grill and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Flip and cook another 5 minutes. Flip again and continue until the tomatoes start to get grill marks and release their juices.
4. Once they get goopy, start mixing the sauce around in the pan and take off the heat. Let cool and remove from pan and continue mashing until desire consistency (we left our tomatoes rather whole).

* A grilling pan isn't required to make this recipe, it will just give those nice blackened grill marks. You can also use a regular fry pan with similar results.


The sauce truly was the star -- majorly chunky + rustic -- and the dollops of ricotta were light. Almost sweet, lending perfectly well to the freshly picked basil I grabbed right before the afternoon's second deluge of rainfall.

To cook your pizza, just preheat your oven to 450 degrees F, preferably with a pizza stone preheating as well. Roll out your pizza dough and then cook it for about 4 minutes before taking out of the oven and flipping over. Put on your toppings -- including the basil and perhaps a shake or two of Parmesan -- and bake for about 15 more minutes. Until cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.

I gladly tackled this half myself.


Enjoy!

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5-Minute Bruschetta Toast

This is one of those simple recipes that's dangerously easy to get hooked on. And -- actually -- there's nothing dangerous about it at all. Pretty healthy if you ask me. I'm so bruschetta (pronounced "brusketta") obsessed that you'll be getting yet another recipe next week. That one's a bit more involved with naan and grilling, etc.

This recipe is fast, brown bag + work week friendly.

5-MINUTE BRUSCHETTA TOAST
vegan. you'll want to make it every day.

What you'll need . . . 

• 1/4 cup Pomi chopped tomatoes, drained well
• 6 large basil leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder)
• salt + pepper to taste
• 2 slices of you favorite crusty bread

Method . . . 

1. Toast your bread (darker + crunchier the better), slice into wedges, and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix together all other ingredients. 
3. Spoon over wedges and serve immediately. Oh, and I would have drizzled mine with balsamic reduction if I had any!
4. You can double, triple, etc. this recipe to make as many servings as you wish.

What to do with the rest of the chopped tomatoes? Make Boozy + Bold Tomato Sauce. And try it with these favorites:

PIZZA, ETC.:

• Pesto Garlic Knots
• Ring-O-Fire Garlic Knots
• Baked Flatbread w/ Sweet Onions, Collards, and Brie
• Garbanzo Garlic Knots
• Chickpea-Carrot Pizza Crust*
• Brie Stuffed-Crust Pizza
• Veggie Stromboli
• Pizza Rustica
• BEETza Pizza
• Pumpkin Garlic Knots
• Gluten-Free Pizza Experiment
• Deep Dish Veggie Tart/Pizza
• Grilled Pizza Basics

* means VEGAN

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Brunch Sandwich

If I ever open a restaurant, it will be called Brunch.

And I will serve only brunch.

And this sandwich will be the signature item on the menu.

It sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is.

Let's break it down:

• First you'll need to roast one large portabella per sandwich you intend to make. (You can find some handy instructions in this post all about the merits of mushrooms for runners.)
• You'll need slices of tomato and avocado, too. As well as some cream cheese or Tofutti, which is what we had in the fridge.
• The french toast is just slices of sourdough bread soaked in an egg mixture and then cooked over medium-high heat on both sides until browned.
• = 2 whole eggs + 1 tablespoons Chipotle Vegenaise + 1-3 tablespoons almond milk. Whisked.
• (That should be enough to soak 6 to 8 slices of bread or make 3 to 4 sandwiches.) 

Sandwich assembly is quite easy.

Slice everything up nice + thin, then pile on to your liking.

Fold into a sandwich and cut.

You may remember back in my last waffle post that I had intended to give you a waffle sandwich recipe that was of the savory variety. Well, yes. But I never took photos. Anyway, this is pretty much THAT sandwich.

But there's more sandwich deliciousness where this came from.

Stay tuned . . .

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Roasted Veggie + Tomato Hummus

Another kid + adult-friendly recipe today. I think you'll be seeing a lot of these as we attempt to expand Ada's will-eat list. It's not that children can't eat the same foods as adults, but -- well -- really, they can't.

Since I started my love affair with cooking, I've gotten salt and seasonings heavy. Specifically with spice and heat. When I'd attempt to serve Ada some of our favorite foods, I'd quickly realize I shouldn't have added that 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne, for example. Or that glug of Texas Pete. Oops.

But taking the spice and salinity down a notch doesn't mean eating bland, boring foods.

I'm thinking hummus.
Does that sound good to you?

If you don't have tahini in the cupboard (likely the case over here), you can improvise.


A can of chickpeas + a few pulses of the food processor . . .


ROASTED VEGGIE + TOMATO HUMMUS

What you'll need . . . 

• 1/2 cup (heaping) roasted veggies*
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup Pomi strained tomatoes
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

* If you don't have roasted veggies on hand (we just eat them ALL the time), simply cut up eggplant, portabellas, bell peppers, onions, etc. into large chunks. Toss in some olive oil and a little bit of salt and pepper and roasted in the oven at 400 degrees F for around 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until well browned.

Method . . . 

1. In your food processor, toss in your veggies, chickpeas, and olive oil. 
2. As you pulse, add in the strained tomatoes a couple tablespoons at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
3. Store in an air-tight container for up to a week (though ours only lasts a couple days!).

You may remember from the Boozy + Bold Tomato Sauce recipe that I've signed on to take the Pomi challenge. This month's mission? Using Pomi with eggplant -- I think this is a delicious combination!

Do you ever make hummus without tahini? What's your favorite mix?

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Boozy + Bold Chunky Tomato Sauce

I've signed on to take the Pomi challenge and cook a delicious tomato recipe using wine. Oh, please. I don't need a challenge to use wine in cooking. I'm always looking for a chance to add a little beer or other beverage to our eats.

Here's what we're working with -- tomatoes, from Italy, in a box, not a can:

And here's what I did with it:


BOOZY + BOLD CHUNKY TOMATO SAUCE

What you'll need . . . 

• 1 package Pomi Chopped Tomatoes (or about 28 ounces of your favorite brand) 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup white wine (cheap Pinot Grigio like in this recipe)
• salt to taste

Method . . . 

1. Put all ingredients in a small pot over medium-high heat. I used our smallest burner on the gas stove.
2. Bring to a simmer and continue stirring -- never covered -- often for a half hour (chunky pasta sauce) to an hour (chunky pizza sauce).
3. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
   

I loosely based this recipe off my Butternut Squash Pizza Sauce recipe, but made it vegan and kicked up a notch with the red pepper flakes. In the past, I didn't pay so much attention to sauce. Usually just threw a few things together . . . but WOW does taking a little extra time/energy make a huge difference.

Please let me know if you try this recipe. If you don't like wine, you could consider adding a little sugar + water to the tomatoes. Or even white grape juice might add a nice flavor.

And never underestimate the power of sauce.

PIZZA, ETC.:

• Pesto Garlic Knots
• Ring-O-Fire Garlic Knots
• Baked Flatbread w/ Sweet Onions, Collards, and Brie
• Garbanzo Garlic Knots
• Chickpea-Carrot Pizza Crust*
• Brie Stuffed-Crust Pizza
• Veggie Stromboli
• Pizza Rustica
• BEETza Pizza
• Pumpkin Garlic Knots
• Gluten-Free Pizza Experiment
• Deep Dish Veggie Tart/Pizza
• Grilled Pizza Basics

* means VEGAN

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Chilly Afternoon

If you have a a chilly afternoon like this, the best way to warm up and recharge is with tomato soup + grilled cheese. We've been making a lot of our Roasted Tomato Soup lately. After posting that recipe several of you mentioned the roasting isn't really necessary.

So, I played around a bit.



The recipe is easy.

• Mince 3 large cloves of garlic. Then, in a large stock pot, saute the garlic some olive oil for a few minutes. 
• Crack open two 28 ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes. In a food processor, completely blend one of the cans -- tomatoes, water, all -- with the garlic. Then add the other can and coarsely combine (so it's chunky). 
• Return mixture to the stock pot. Season with salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, basil, and paprika. To taste. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar (about a tablespoon) if you like. 
• Let flavors mingle (heat on medium-low) for 25 minutes. 
• Then add in 1/2 to 1 full cup of sour cream. Cook another 10 minutes. 
• Serve with toasted cheese.

I opted for a slightly more grown up version of grilled cheese. Open-faced with cheddar broiled to a perfect brown. Covered with avocado slices and then sliced into great shapes for dipping.

A new take on comfort food.


If you'd like to check out Ada's big X-mas gift this year (a play kitchen), check out Writing Chapter Three.

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Crock Pot Veggie Stew

Remember all that progress I wanted to make in the kitchen last weekend? Well . . . we didn't cross a single thing off our to-do list.

But we did add something: A cabinet over the stove.


We use it to store the millions of mixing bowls that I just can't get rid of. Don't get me wrong, I've purged a lot of unnecessary things -- but my mixing bowls all have different purposes!

I feel really thankful to finally be able to do something in our kitchen. But I can't help saying "is it OVER yet?" pretty much any chance I get. One reason I'm so irked is that cooking is impossible. I've read a lot of great things about how you should do kitchen remodels -- and almost all involve setting up a makeshift kitchen elsewhere in the home.

We have no space for that, so I've decided our "mini-kitchen" is the crock pot.


(BOOZY) CROCK POT VEGGIE STEW

I don't need to explain how to make stew in the crock pot. But I'll tell you what we put in our most recent go at it, and maybe you can share some of your own favorite combos with me!

• 2 cooking onions, chopped
• 3 large cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chopped delicata squash (skinned and seeded)
• 2 cups canned kidney beans, rinsed
• 2 cups frozen corn
• 2 cups frozen green beans (chopped into smaller bits)
• 1 zucchini (chopped)
• 28 ounces tomato puree
• 12 ounces winter beer (or veggie broth!)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Pepper to taste
• Smoked paprika, oregano, and thyme -- all to taste

I cooked the onions and garlic in a tablespoon or two of olive oil over medium heat on the stove. Then I put everything into the pot -- stirred -- and cooked on high for 3 hours. I seasoned more till I got it just right (read: I dumped in half a jar of smoked paprika -- hahaha).

Serve with crusty bread + cheese + another brew for good measure. Delicious. And lots of leftovers for lunch.


As I mentioned in the ingredient list, you can certainly substitute veggie broth for beer. I use beer when I'm being lazy/don't have broth/and want to add a variety of flavors. In this case, we used a Sam Adam's Winter Lager -- lots of orange peel, ginger, and cinnamon flavors.

I'll be cranking up the heat in the pot again tonight. What is your favorite crock pot meal? I need ideas beyond our usual Pumpkin Chili!

Pssst: Check out Writing Chapter Three for part II of our quest for a simple holiday. Ada's Christmas list.

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Food for Runners: T-O-M-A-T-O-E-S

I still have tomatoes on the brain after last week's Roasted Tomato Soup recipe. I made yet another batch last night and it turned out even better than the first. The trick was letting it simmer until it had really thickened.

But now I can't tell much difference between the soup and tomato sauce.

Oh, well. I'm writing today about tomatoes and why they are a fantastic food for runners. I get plenty of them -- fresh and canned -- in my diet, and if you're an athlete, you should, too!

Interestingly, "organic tomatoes are higher in some antioxidants, including quercetin, than conventionally grown ones. Research on quercetin suggests it may improve immunity in endurance athletes." (Source)

You can enjoy great antioxidant power, as "Tomato sauce is a rich source of carbohydrate (at roughly 21 grams per cup), as well as various vitamins and minerals and antioxidants such as lycopene." (Source)

And even more good news: "Tomatoes can help reduce lactic acid buildup." (Source)


Here are some of our favorite recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner:

Springer's Gruyere Frittata w/ Kale and Tomato
Hannah's Fresh Tomato Roasted Chile Salsa
Our Slow Roasted Tomatoes
Katherine's Carmelized Tomatoes
cooking4carnivores's Heirloom Tomato Puff
Jenn's Caprese Salad w/ Heirloom Tomatoes
Beth's Tomato-Ginger Muffins
Our Pumpkin Chili is full of tomatoes!
Erin's Risotto-Stuffed Tomatoes
Ashley's Sundried Tomato-Almond Butter
Eden's Green Bean and Tomato Salad
Our Tomato-Basil Marmalade
Kathy's Open-Faced Tomato Tofu Feta Sandwich
Swathi's Tofu & Green Pepper in Tomato Gravy
Kiersten's Panera-Style Tomato & Mozzarella Panini

What's your favorite way to incorporate tomatoes into your cooking?


Don't forget to read up on these other healthy ingredients:

Food for Runners: B-A-N-A-N-A-S
Food for Runners: G-A-R-L-I-C
Food for Runners: Q-U-I-N-O-A
Food for Runners: K-A-L-E
Food for Runners: B-E-R-R-I-E-S
Food for Runners: E-G-G-S
Food for Runners: C-U-C-U-M-B-E-R-S
Food for Runners: P-U-M-P-K-I-N
Food for Runners: A-L-M-O-N-D-S


Pssst: Today on Writing Chapter Three I have part I of a series on budgeting to be a Stay At Home parent (or maybe to make a career change?).

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Grilled Cheese (Knot!)

Alternative to grilled cheese? Take Pumpkin Garlic Knots, bake them so they are slightly under-done in the middle. Then slice in half, top with cheese of your choice, I used cheddar, and broil for a few minutes until browned and bubbly. Then top with the usual garlic knot mixture.

This "recipe" is simple enough.

Goes great with Roasted Tomato Soup!


Happy Halloween, by the way. If you'd like to check out Ada's awesome lion costume, just head over to Writing Chapter Three! I want her to wear it every single day.

And here's to the New Leaf plan and avoiding mass quantities of candy tonight.

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