Red: The Color of Summer

It's not to say I've always wanted to be in Spain during "La Tomatina", but if the day ever presents itself I don't know that I would say no. To that end, I would feel a little guilty about throwing around tomatoes, and essentially wasting them. Sad because I am sure most of the tomatoes being throw aren't the flavorless, often mealy tomatoes that crowd our produce aisles stateside. These are most likely the tomatoes that make such a sweet, rich gazpacho -- my favorite summer treat from Spain aside from Cruzcampo.

Tomatoes always remind me of summer. I look forward to when the day finally comes that we actually have a yard and can have a small garden. Until then, our herb and flower garden on the balcony will suffice, as will weekly trip to the Farmer's Market to buy fresh, ripe heirlooms.

This past week our kitchen has been overrun with tomatoes. Last weekend we made a huge batch of salmorejo (the Sevillano version of gazpacho, which includes bread). We are still eating it, and it makes for a very filling and nutritious meal. During the week we've been preparing to make some homemade tomato sauce. This way we can have a jar of summer in the cold days of winter. Once it's complete, I will be sure to post some photos and if it turns out, we'll include the recipe as well.

I don't often associate periods of time with colors (or with vegetables, okay technically fruits), but this week has been nothing short of red, red and red.

30 Days of Creativity - Day 13: Tomato & Blackberry Overload

Today has been a day of really having to s t r e t c h our creativity in the kitchen. Allow me to explain.

In the winter we went to Maxwell Street Market and were not very impressed (refer to post here). We went again today and our opinion has done a complete 180. A complete 180. I am not even going to get into the crazy deals we scored today - even if I really want to. (By the way, I have learned that it's a Midwestern thing to always want to share our good deal stories with others. For example: "That's a cute shirt." How do I always want to respond? "Thanks. I got it on clearance for $$$ at xxx.").

I digress. Back to the market.

Next time we go we are bringing a suitcase. We bought a box of tomatoes and a box of blackberries for $10. To put this into perspective - we have at least 10 pounds of tomatoes and 12 packs of blackberries. A ridiculous deal? I think so. Our challenge since we have been home is being creative with how we are going to use all this produce before it goes bad. (Naturally, we will be freezing lots of tomatoes.)

I have decided to conquer the blackberries. I have worked through 6 packs already on various baked goods. I will write more about those tomorrow and they all need a day to set. Pm has been responsible for the tomatoes (with some help from yours truly). Tonight's menu will consist of rustic tomato soup. The recipe below is from the Big Food cookbook by Elissa Altman. We will certainly be making some gazpacho with these tomatoes too.

Big Food Rustic Tomato Soup Recipe (ampm style)

1/4 c olive oil

1 c baby carrots (diced)

1 large yellow onion (peeled & diced)

3 garlic cloves, minced

6 c fresh tomatoes (peeled, seeded & chopped w/ liquid) ~12 tomatoes

1 c chicken stock

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 T dried basil leaves

salt & pepper to taste

Heat oil and add carrot and onion. Cook until softened. Add garlic, stir and cook for 3 mins. Add tomatoes and juice and cook until they fall apart. Add stock, cover and simmer for 10 mins. Add basil, cover and continue to simmer for 20 mins. Season accordingly. Serve hot. [Note: We will be blending the soup before serving.]

I better get back in the kitchen and help. Que Aproveche! (We'll post a picture later on Flickr of our final product.)

And as promised here's the soup :)