My local Farmer's Market still has plenty of Tomatoes, so I'm taking advantage of the fact, and stewing, roasting and freezing as many as I can, for those dark mid-winter days ahead where the burst of tomatoes can simply brighten any day.
ROASTED TOMATO SOUP: Core 6 Medium Tomatoes but leave whole. Put in a bowl add plenty of Olive Oil and Salt. Toss to coat. Fire up a grill or cast iron pan to High, coat it with a little Olive Oil and when it starts smoking add the whole tomatoes. (You can also roast the tomatoes) Turn occasionally until all are charred black and shriveled. Set pan aside, cover loosely with plastic wrap, so the tomatoes steam a little. When cool, remove skin and chop roughly. Meanwhile in a soup pot, add 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil and sauté 4 finely chopped Garlic cloves on low heat. When golden, add the chopped tomatoes, with a teaspoon of fresh Thyme, a good grind of fresh Pepper, a teaspoon of Salt, a teaspoon of Raw Sugar and 3 cups of regular water. Bring to a boil, then reduce, and simmer for 35 of 40 minutes. Pulverize with an emersion hand blender. (Optional, depending on the consistency you like). Makes about 2 cups.
NOTE: You can serve this with grated Parmesan on top. Or with a Grilled Cheese sandwich. At the simmer stage, you can even make this more hearty by adding Orzo, diced Sausages, a can of Chickpeas or even some prepared Pesto. On the day we shot this it was warm for October, so I added some finely diced Kirby Cucumbers, (in the photograph) which gave it a fresh crunch.
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Photograph: Squire Fox. Props: Tara Marino (Food concept/styling & Art Direction: Dimity Jones)