Link Greenhouses

Before I started thinking of the Internet as “the world’s most awesome cookbook” I relied heavily on my cookbook collection quite often.   One volume that always seemed to have just what I needed was Bon Appétit’s Fast Easy Fresh Cookbook.

Of course, during asparagus season it seems impossible that one should prepare asparagus any way other than steamed for just the right amount of time and served with a pat of butter but with variety being the spice of life and all, I do also highly recommend this soup.   As the book states “this vegetarian soup has a velvety texture with only small amounts of butter and sour cream per serving.”
What you need:

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup sliced shallots (about 6 large)
2 pounds asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2″ lengths
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 14 oz. cans vegetable broth
1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

MELT butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallots; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.  Add asparagus and coriander; stir 1 minute.  Add broth; simmer until asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes.  Cool slightly.   Working in batches, puree soup in blender.  Strain into same pan, pressing on solids to release liquid.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Keep warm.

STIR crème fraîche, lemon juice, and lemon peep in small bowl.  Ladle soup into bowls.  Top with dollop of lemon crème fraîche.  (I had some eager eaters on hand and forgot to grab a picture of the finished product, so I had to grab this picture of the finished soup from the Special Fork blog.)

Whenever I leave a few tomatoes out on the counter for a few days too many, they become perfect for making sauce.   Here’s my favourite.

This recipe comes from the book Mediterranean Summer by Chef David Shalleck.   It’s his account of a summer spent as the chef on board the yacht Serenity, cooking for a well-to-do Italian family.   The client, Il Dottore did not want to see onions visible in any of his food, so if you are dealing with an eater like this, this recipe is even better for you.

1/4 cup pure olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled, cut into 6 wedges, and the layers separated
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
1 tablespoon roughly chopped anchovy fillet
2 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley
2 lbs of ripe tomatoes, chopped and pureed
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Heat the olive oil, onion and garlic together in a nonreactive saucepan large enough to hold the tomato puree over medium-low heat.  A pot lined with stainless steel works best because it will not affect the flavour of the sauce.  Cook, stirring from time to time, until the onion and garlic are soft but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes from when the onion starts to sizzle.   Remove the onion and add the anchovy.   Using a wooden spoon, mash the anchovy with the garlic so that they combine into a paste.

Add the parsley, stir, and continue to cook for 30 seconds, then add the tomato puree, oregano, hot pepper, salt and sugar.  Adjust the heat to keep the sauce at a low, steady boil and cook, stirring from time to time to keep the sauce from burning on the bottom, until the sauce starts to thicken, 30 to 40 minutes.

The sauce will have lightened in colour, and the bubbles will pop on the surface rather than coming from within.   Check the seasoning and add oregano, hot pepper or salt to taste if needed.

If you love the idea of a soup that is alive with fresh veggies, herbs and flavour then this is a great soup for you.  You can serve it cold or at room temperature and, yes, you can put vodka in it to make it “dirty.”   Either way, this is a delicious and refreshing dish.

All the ingredients for a tasty gazpacho.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 small red onion, chopped
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 small jalapeño, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 small cucumber, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup vodka (optional)
• a big pinch of salt and then to taste
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

This batch was done in the blender.

Typically, for best results you should chop all ingredients finely and then combine them into a bowl and let them sit at least 15 minutes before serving.  This really preserves the beautiful look of the soup and we do eat with our eyes first.   However, if you are a bit pressed for time, you can give the ingredients a whizz in your blender until you get the desired consistency.   Your soup will not look as beautiful, but it will still taste delicious.   If you do the blender method, be sure NOT to add the oil until after you are done blending, and then still the oil in to combine.

Honestly; thank you to our Facebookers who have been prodding me to put up this recipe…I really want you to be able to enjoy this and enjoy how simple it is.    So…here we go. (HINT: Click on any of the photos to see the full-size version)

I hated to disturb this pretty picture.

What You Need:
A couple pounds of tomatoes
3 Cloves of garlic
Salt & Pepper To Taste
Some good olive oil
Vinegar (I ended up using a bit of balsamic and a bit of rice vinegar, but would have used red wine vinegar if I had it)
A little handful of fresh basil…chopped or minced (whichever you prefer)
A nice loaf of Italian bread or a French stick

1.  Core and seed the tomatoes.   When I am making bruschetta, I chop the tomatoes quite small…almost a dice…makes the finished product a bit more manageable for your eaters.  Put the chopped tomatoes into a large bowl.   Mince 2 cloves of the garlic and add the mince to your tomatoes.   Salt and pepper to taste.

Salt, taste, repeat.

Take your time to make sure you season properly; it makes a huge difference to have enough salt in this.  Put a good glug or two of the olive oil in…maybe 3 tablespoonfuls and a splash of the vinegar.   Taste.   You like?   Adjust until you like.  If you have time, you will benefit from letting this mixture sit a couple hours at room temperature.

2.   Slice your bread up to whatever size you want for serving.   In these photos I had a super fresh ciabatta loaf and sliced it quite thick and I was very pleased with the results.   Cut the last garlic clove in half the long way and rub it on one side of each slice.   Drizzle or spray (if you have a spray bottle) that same side of the bread with some of your olive oil and then grill until you are happy with how your toasts look.   Alternatively, you could toast the bread in your toaster, then rub it with the garlic and oil.   Whichever you prefer.   As you can see here, I grilled and it looked and tasted great.

3.   Stir your fresh basil into the tomato mixture.  Divide your tomato mixture onto the toasts evenly, arrange on a plate and ENJOY!

Ta-DA!

Got any other suggestions for tomato recipes, especially recipes that include other seasonal vegetables available right now?   I’m sure we’d all apreciate if you left them in the comments section below.

Cheers!

Had to share this one: made this last night and it is A-MAZ-ING! Click on the photo to get the recipe.

Click the picture to get the recipe