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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10-Minute Heirloom Tomato Sauce

A goal I have for this blog is to simplify the foods I feature and to keep it real with regard to what we eat on a day-to-day basis. So, over the coming weeks, I'll highlight a few previously overlooked staples we have in our kitchen. Things that aren't really exciting or masterpieces on their own, but recipes that bring a lot of flavor and vibrancy to the meals we eat.

Which brings us to this delightfully simple tomato sauce, great for use on pasta or pizza or even for dipping. You don't need to use heirlooms, they're just particularly delicious and gigantic. And tomatoes can be switched out with tomatillos, too. I make sauce with whatever we get in our CSA basket.

10-Minute HEIRLOOM TOMATO SAUCE

What you'll need . . .

• 2 very large tomatoes  (or approx 1-1/2 cups) chopped
• Minced onion + garlic*
• Dried or fresh herbs of choice
• Salt + pepper
• Red pepper flake
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup 
• olive oil

* You can certainly use fresh, but I keep a secret stash of dehydrated onions and garlic by Earth's Pride on hand for quick recipes like these.


Method . . . 

1. Heat a tablespoon or more of olive oil over medium-high heat, toss all ingredients into the pan, starting with the tomatoes, onions, and garlic.
2. The salt is important in this recipe for drawing out the moisture from the tomatoes. So, be sure to add that straight away.
3. Add the spices slowly, though -- remember, you can always add more, but not take away. It's all to your taste, too. Feel free to omit red pepper flakes if you don't like heat or maple syrup if you don't like sweetness. Others to consider adding include oregano, thyme, basil, and even sage can be nice!
4. Cook + stir continuously and  as moisture is released from the tomatoes, squish them down with the back of your spatula or spoon to your desired chunky consistency. 
5. Sauce is ready after 10 minutes or less, depending on the use. For pizza, just make sure that it is thick and not watery. 
6. For a less rustic sauce, run through your food processor until smooth. And feel free to double, triple, etc. this recipe for more sauce!

To make this pizza, flatten dough and bake at 450 for 2 to 3 minutes. Then assemble with the sauce and cheeses and bake for another 12 to 14 minutes. Until cheese is golden brown + bubbly.

• Use half the yield of the Pumpkin Pizza Dough (we made ours with squash puree)
• Use the sauce you just made
• Mozzarella cheese + crumbled honey goat cheese
• Fresh basil

If you don't have fresh tomatoes on hand, try this Boozy + Bold Sauce made with packaged tomatoes. And if you have a bit more time, try out this Grilled Kalamata Sauce, maybe with Pesto Pizza Dough. 

Monday is as great a night as any for pizza, don't you think?

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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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Slow-Roasted Tomatoes

Things look a little different on the main site -- new banner -- thanks to some fun with Photoshop for the first time in nine long months. But those tomatoes weren't just for show. We didn't slice and eat them fresh either!

If you haven't slowly roasted tomatoes before, you're in for a treat. Just lower you oven temperature, wait a few hours, and enjoy. They taste a lot like sun-dried, but not quite as intense, which I appreciate.

HOW TO:

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F. Slice enough cherry tomatoes, length-wise, to fill a lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil (1 to 2 tablespoons), sprinkle with salt + pepper, and let roast for 2 to 3 hours -- enough time to watch the Olympic Marathon tomorrow morning. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to a week.

More recipes using these tomatoes later in the week. Till then, take care!

PS: Thanks to all our friends on Facebook who helped us narrow the choices for the new banner. You guys and gals ROCK!

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Just checking in . . .

Remember our veggie garden? The one that started out looking like this?

And after a little lot of work, we expanded its size and added plants, herbs, and more dirt. Got it looking better -- good, even -- but still somewhat underwhelming?


Well, I'm happy to report it's bursting at the seams as of this morning.

Blame it on the rain -- we've had buckets of it -- but holy moly!


We've got at least three heirloom tomatoes making their way from bud to bulbous . . . I'm already dreaming of fresh mozzarella salads with homegrown tomatoes and basil picked in our back yard.


The onions went from yellow and limp to green and robust . . . (though, we have absolutely no idea when they are "done" growing -- any ideas?)


Overall, we both have this new appreciation for watching things grow this year. So far, our girl has ballooned from some thing the size of a poppy seed to a living, moving (moving a LOT!) being the size of a mango.

Let me repeat that: A MANGO.

And to think, just a few short months ago, she would have been totally dwarfed by this fledgling bell pepper!


I know many of you had gardens started early in the spring . . . or ones you threw together last minute (like us!). How are they doing? Do you know when the optimal harvest time is, or do you just pluck things off vines whenever they look kinda/sorta ready?

We definitely do the latter. No shame about it.

In other news: If you're interested in how we're getting in the girl mood, check out (never home)maker, baby! -- I'm in love with our fun, thrifty finds!

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Gluten-Free Pasta Salad

We don't cover enough gluten-free recipes on (never home)maker. We'd had requests, so -- today's recipe is for you! I think we've already discussed how I don't like salad or pasta. But there's a rare exception to this rule. If the pasta is somehow a salad . . . I tend to like it. Especially if it's combined with some of my favorite ingredients. Namely heirloom tomatoes and fresh mozzarella cheese.

OK. And when you add basil. I tend to LOVE it.

Now, I've been seeing gluten-free pasta options popping up at restaurants around here more and more the past couple months. I think it's great. Most of the options are made from brown rice. The kind we used is no exception.


If you eat a gluten-free diet and are interested, you can purchase Lundberg Pastas at most natural foods stores. As a first-time eater, I found the texture and taste of their organic brown rice penne to be pretty much the same as many of the whole grain pastas I usually devour. So, GREAT! I didn't really know what to expect, but it wasn't weird or terribly different. And it cooked similarly.

(((If you're not so much into the gluten-free thing, you can substitute in your favorite store-bought penne for this recipe.)))


GLUTEN-FREE, ONE-POT PASTA SALAD

What you'll need . . .

• 1 cup dry Lundberg gluten-free penne
• 1 large heirloom tomato
• Fresh mozzarella (as many slices as you'd like)
• 2 heaping handfuls of baby spinach
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced.
• Fresh basil to garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method . . .

1. Cook pasta to the package directions in a medium stock pot. Bring water to a boil, toss in pasta and cook for between 8 and 10 minutes. Then drain and rise with cold water. Set aside.
2. Slice you tomato and mozzarella. Toss into the colander where you drained your pasta.
3. Put a tablespoon of olive oil in the used stock pot and toss in your garlic and spinach. Heat over medium heat and stir around until coated with oil.
4. Then add your penne, tomato slices, and mozzarella. Turn the heat down to almost low. Toss around for a couple minutes until the cheese starts to melt, but is still in tact.
5. Then serve. It's good with balsamic vinegar. Eat immediately.

This recipe makes two generous lunch servings. Feel free to substitute in your favorite greens (I think kale would work beautifully) and other veggies.

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Rustic Pizza -- Make it Tonight!

There are days when I think we should have started a pizza blog. It seems like at least once or twice a week, we've combined bread, tomatoes, cheese, and basil in another way. We have our favorite pizza doughs -- the original and pumpkin version. Then all the instructions on how to grill pizza. We've also shared a cool new stromboli recipe as well as inspired ways to make your pizza gourmet.

So, just when you thought we were fresh out of ideas -- we created this majestic, browned beast.


This rustic pizza is full of good stuff. It's more like a pie, I guess. And this recipe features one of our new favorite ingredients: heirloom tomatoes. I like how they look -- as unique as you and I. But did you know they're full of enhanced nutrition, too?

Yeah. In fact, heirloom tomatoes are not only far more tasty, juicy, and full-bodied than supermarket tomatoes, but they also pack vitamins and antioxidants that the super-perfectly round and red varieties lack (Source). What vitamins, you ask? According to HealthCastle.com, they're "rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin A, and Vitamin K, and potassium, among many other vitamins and minerals. They're also widely known as a good source of lycopene" (Source).


What I like best about heirloom tomatoes (well, aside from the taste and nutritional benefits) are the names!!! If you'd like a full list of them, check out this site. After taking a look, I think the kinds we bought are maybe Canistrino, Mortgage Lifters, or Brandy Wines. But it's difficult to tell with so many varieties!


RUSTIC PIZZA

What you'll need . . .

• Pizza dough (see recipes above)
• 2 medium to large heirloom tomatoes
• 3 to 4 handfuls kale, sliced
• 1/2 medium to large onion, sliced
• Ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 2 eggs (optional, but highly suggested)
• Parmesan cheese (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Pepper (to taste)
• Fresh basil

Method . . .

1. Prepare your pizza dough and set aside. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F -- place a pizza stone in the oven while it preheats.
2. In a large pot, put in a little olive oil and cook kale and onion over medium-high heat. Then, much like with Stephen's crispy kale recipe, add the balsamic vinegar and continue to cook until well done and not soggy.
3. Roll and stretch out your pizza dough so that it's a large circle -- about 18 to 20 inches in diameter.
4. In the center of your dough, start filling it with the kale/onion mixture. Make a circle with this ingredient that's maybe 15 inches in diameter (you'll be folding the dough over later).
5. Then lay your sliced tomatoes on top, just layer until you've used them all.
6. Layer the fresh mozzarella on that. Sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese.
7. Fold the excess dough toward the middle and press seams together so it looks like in the photo above.
8. Place in oven and cook for 10 minutes. Then take out of the oven and crack two eggs over the top of the pizza and raise heat to 445 degrees F.
9. Keep baking for another 10 to 15 minutes -- watching the dough to make sure it doesn't burn. If it looks like it's headed in that direction, covered the whole thing with aluminum foil.
10. Cook until the egg is set. Then tear some basil leaves over the pizza for extra taste and add pepper as desired. Slice and enjoy with some hot sauce!

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