Well I said in my last post I wasn't sure if I'd continue to blog after the challenge was over....or at least thats what I think I said! Now Dark Day Challenge #4 is about to begin and I will dedicate myself to blogging again. The challenge doesn't begin until December and I have some filling in/updating to do before then, but I was eating my dinner and it was so FABULOUS that I had to share. There's been many times throughout the year, I have wanted to update as well, but it has been a crazy round of months since the last challenge ended. So, dinner? Dinner was an ode to summer leaving and fall beginning. I've been making tons of soups lately, hearty fulfilling, thick soups to fill my freezer and tummy, but this one was different. I made this unfortunately only once over the summer but to rave reviews and followed the recipe completely. The soup is Bryant Terry's Chilled Heirloom Tomato Soup. By the way his book, Vegan Soul Kitchen, was a staple in my kitchen this summer. Delicious recipes with good, natural ingredients and easy to make. At the farmers market you can tell its the last of the tomatoes and they won't there be there much longer so last week I grabbed about 8 heirlooms and threw them in my basket knowing I'd make this soup one more time while I had the chance. I won't miss the heirloom tomatoes flavor, because I oven dried jars and jars full to keep me through winter and they are delicious! But I had to have this soup again. So...you slice the tomatoes in 1 inch slices and combine with a lil salt and let sit for 30 minutes. Then you cut up stuff for a salsa....this is where you can improvise really all you want. This time I cut up cucumber, hot peppers,and radishes with the necessary lemon juice, salt, paprika, onions and garlic. I mean you could leave those out too, but what kind of salsa would that be. Last time I made it with basil too, this time with mint, but lots o herbs could work....Make this with whatever you have and need to use up. The part that for me is indispensable is the roasted raw peanuts you put on top. They make this soup! SO you blend the tomatoes and put thru a sieve, top your serving with a spoon of salsa and a toss of peanuts and this time....I added cut up bacon!! So delicious and pretty fulfilling too! And the ingredients all local. The peanuts were spouted peanuts from the local micro/sprout farm here in SantaCruz, New Native and the bacon was from TLC Ranch, a local pig farm that unfortunately is going out of business here in Northern California. But I stocked up on a freezer full of goodies for winter! The other veggies and herbs were from a combination of different farms at the market. Well that's it for now, just wanted to share this Tomato Soup for you to try if you have any fresh tomatoes still available...
