Tomatoes, Tomatoes, I love Tomatoes! Pappa al Pomodoro Soup

Tomatoes are one of my most loved fruits, yes a fruit, not a vegetable according to botanists.  Either way a fruit or veggie I'll take them, any way they are served I love them.  They are loaded with lycopene a powerful antioxidant, a decent amount of vitamin C and Potassium, Folate and Vitamin K, all so very good for you.  

My favorite tomatoes are Campari, they are smaller than a regular tomato but larger than a cherry tomato and they taste like a Summer tomato all year long.  Plums are my second favorite, they are very meaty and not too juicy so great in sandwiches.

Today I made tasty and hearty Pappa al Pomodoro soup with regular slicing tomatoes.  This soup is thick and full of flavor, and you won't be hungry after eating it because it is so thick. It is a simple food, most ingredients you will have in your pantry.  Considered peasant food back in the day, it is has now earned culinary kudos from renowned chefs all over the world.

These are the ingredients I used in my Pappa al Pomodoro soup. Olive Oil, garlic, onion, fresh tomatoes, I also used a can of petite diced tomatoes for more color, winter tomatoes are not as brightly colored as summer tomatoes.  You could certainly use all canned if you like.  I thought I would try it with fresh ones.  Now, back to the ingredients, crushed red pepper, fennel seed, salt and pepper, fresh basil, tomato paste (in tube) its easier than wasting a 6 oz. can, and garlic paste in the tube for more added flavor. The tubes are great, worth investing in them to have on hand when you only need a teaspoon or tablespoon of paste or garlic, and last, one small loaf of Italian/French bread, a crusty bread a day or two old, even better.

Peel the skins off the tomatoes, slice and scoop out the seeds, only the seeds not the meat of the tomato.

 I would do this over the sink, it can get messy,

Chop them up.

A little crushed red pepper for some heat and crushed fennel for flavor, love the smell of fennel. I used a mortar and pestle to crush the seeds.

Yes, I used a can!  You can use all canned tomatoes if you like.  Garlic and onion cooking up, they smell amazing together!

Ohhhhhh baby, looky here! And that fresh basil, what can I say, I could lay in a room full of that fragrance.

Cubed loaf of bread, reserve a  little to make croutons for the top of your soup.

The bread is added and mashed with a potato masher, it helps to cook it down.

WOW, coming together nicely!

My reserved bread for croutons.

A little olive oil on the baking sheet.

Toss in the cubed bread, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, when cooled, toss with a little parmesan cheese.

Piping hot! It's so good topped with more cheese, the homemade croutons and fresh basil. Delizioso!

Pappa al Pomodoro Soup

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small sweet onion, diced small

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of Amore Garlic Paste in tube

1/4 teaspoon dry crushed red pepper (more if you like heat)

1 teaspoon fennel seeds. crushed

4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or you can use 3- 14.5 oz. cans petite diced tomatoes with juice)

1 14.5 oz. canned regular Petite diced tomatoes with juice

1 1/2 tablespoons of Amore Tomato Paste in tube (or use canned)

2 tablespoons sugar (more if you like it sweeter, taste first)

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 1/2 cups of water

6 large basil leaves, sliced

1 loaf of crusty Italian/French bread, cubed (big enough for 6 -7 cups of bread cubes, reserve 1 cup for croutons)

Parmesan cheese and more fresh sliced basil for serving

Directions

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until just transparent.  Add the garlic, garlic paste, crushed red pepper and fennel seed.  Cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes until all is fragrant, but be careful not to burn the garlic.

Add all the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper.  Let tomatoes cook down, about

10 -15 minutes.  Taste and adjust your seasonings to your liking.

Stir in the bread cubes, don't forget to reserve about 1 cup for your croutons.  Add the 4 1/2 cups of water and the basil.  Bring the pot to a simmer, stir and mash the bread with a potato masher until the soup is really thick.  Add more salt, pepper and basil if you like.

Serve piping hot topped with parmesan cheese, your croutons and fresh sliced basil.  Enjoy!

Note: If using all canned tomatoes just use the 3-14.5 oz. cans of petite diced tomatoes, do not add the other one for use with fresh tomatoes. So a total of 3 cans only.

 

The Light Lunch and Bruschetta Breads

I get bored from time to time, so I'll go out, walk the stores, check out what's new.  I went to Marshall's the other day, needed some new towels, and right next door is Aldi, so I popped in there to see what was new.  I found these interesting bruschetta breads.  I already had planned to make bruschetta this week to use up a bunch of tomatoes, so these went into the cart.  On the shelf were oregano and tomato flavored breads, I couldn't choose so I got both.

 I made my fresh bruschetta (see this blog 6/15/15 for recipe), loaded up a small bowl and 3 of my breads, I sprinkled a little grated Pecorino cheese on top, and that my friends was my lunch.

 How good does this look and it's easy on the waist.

Oh, My My, Tomatoes!

My tomato plants are finally producing tomatoes, and I can't wait to pick them.  There is nothing like a fresh tomato that you grew from your very own garden.  I remember growing up, my grandparents grew all kinds of vegetables in their garden, and we would pick fresh tomatoes right from the plant, sprinkle with a little salt and bite right into it, ahhh those were the days.  In my garden I planted beefsteak, big boy, plum, grape and yellow grape tomato plants this year, and I hope I get a bumper crop.  I will need them, since one of the big box stores I go to stopped selling my favorite bruschetta.  Now I have to make my own, so having all the tomatoes will help, I won't have to buy them,  I had to purchase some yesterday, my tomatoes are still green but growing, to make homemade bruschetta.  I could eat this stuff everyday for lunch it's so good!  Recipe below.

To print recipe, click on it, highlight and print.

I started with a box of plum/Roma tomatoes, they are the best I think, very meaty.  Fresh basil and parsley from my garden and a few other ingredients.

 I like using red onion because it gives the bruschetta pretty color.

 My plums or Roma tomatoes as they are called.

 I scoop the seeds with a teaspoon.

 Slice them down and then dice them, so they look like this.

Toss all the ingredients in a bowl.

 Scoop it on top of crostini and it's a meal for me.  If there are any leftovers, I store it in a canning jar.

 Homemade Tomato Bruschetta

Ingredients

12 plum/Roma tomatoes

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 red onion, minced

10 basil leaves, cut chiffonade style (roll leaves up and slice)

1 tablespoon fresh chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Slice all the tomatoes in half, then scoop the seeds with a teaspoon and discard them.  Slice the tomatoes lengthwise then dice them. Toss the tomatoes into a medium size bowl, with the remaining ingredients and mix together.  Store in a covered container.  Makes about 2 1/2 cups.

Grilled Heirloom Tomatoes

Who doesn't love a summer tomato, they are at their peak with flavor at this time of year.  I made a side dish of these heirloom tomato gems for dinner on Saturday and they were fabulous!  They're so easy to make, just skewer them up, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, grill just until they start to pop, and when they're done toss on some chopped fresh basil, that's all they need.  If you like, drizzle a little balsamic vinegar on when they come off the grill for added flavor.

 Aren't they so pretty!

 I served mine with grilled boneless skinless chicken breast and fresh corn on the cob.  Everything on the grill makes dinner easy and no mess in the house.

Father's Day Dinner On The Deck

Last Sunday was Father's Day, and I think anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to really be called a dad.  We in this family are the lucky ones, we have all of it, a great father, dad and husband.  His treat for Father's Day, crab cakes on the grill.   More than anything else, my husband loves food, loves to eat, and to have his family around the kitchen table sharing it with him.  This father, dad, husband will do anything, anytime for his family.   He works hard in everything he does, his job, the kids (adults really now) the house, the cars, whatever we need he's there.  So here's to you father, dad, husband, 

HAPPY FATHER"S DAY! 

I tried making crab cakes on the grill for the first time and they were fabulous! They came out perfect.

I used a flat grill pan that I had, they didn't even fall apart.  Nice and crispy on the outside and perfectly cooked on the inside, I served them with a choice of tartar and/or cocktail sauce.  Recipe below.

 Then in my grill basket, I grilled fresh asparagus and plum tomatoes.  I tossed them in a little olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic.  Plum tomatoes are meatier than regular tomatoes and tend not to fall apart once they start cooking.  They caramelize in the process and that brings out the sweetness of them.  Look at those beauties!  Asparagus is always great on the grill.

I also made potato packets on the grill with quartered potatoes, bacon, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and olive oil, wrapped in foil.  When they were done I served them with a little sour cream.  Everything was perfectly cooked. Who knew it would tastes so good on the grill? I'll try most anything once and if it doesn't work out, then I call it something else.  I usually cook everything outside in the summer, no sense in dirtying up the kitchen when I have a kitchen outside!

Beginning and End of a Great Meal

We had family over for dinner on Saturday and I made homemade bruschetta for an appetizer. It's quick and easy and it was very tasty, if I say so myself.  Summer tomatoes are the best to use if making this dish, they are rich in flavor, juicy, and the color they get from the summer sun is beautiful.  I made this bruschetta with campari tomatoes, they always taste like a summer tomato, no matter what time of year it is. The recipe is below so start chopping!

1/2 chopped sweet onion - such as vidalia, 5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 small box of campari tomatoes, quartered then chopped

2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

3 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

2 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup olive oil

3 Tbsp balamic vinegar

salt & pepper to taste

1 baguette, sliced to top with bruschetta.  Can you say yummy!

I Scream You Scream We All Scream For Ice Cream!

I also made Raspberry Ice Cream for dessert. Get out all your ingredients, whole milk, heavy cream, eggs, sugar, salt, vanilla and frozen raspberries.  You also need an ice cream maker.  Recipe is below.

Pulse frozen raspberries in a food processor or blender

They will look like little beads when you are done

Beat eggs and 1/3 cup of sugar until a thick stream drips from beaters

Milk, cream and 1 cup of sugar in a heavy saucepan

Combined milk and raspberry mixture

Pour into a bowl

Cover the very top of it with plastic wrap and chill for 3 hours or more

Pour into frozen barrel of ice cream maker and churn

Pour into a container with a lid and freeze for about 8 hours or overnight. Oh baby this stuff is soooo good! Rich, creamy and tasty and full of raspberry flavor.

RASPBERRY ICE CREAM

6 cups of frozen red raspberries

2 cups whipping cream

2 cups whole milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 cup sugar

2 eggs

pinch of salt

1.  Place the 6 cups of berries in a food processor or blender.  Pulse until raspberries are like little tiny beads.

2. Combine cream, milk, vanilla, 1 cup of sugar and the salt in a heavy sauce pan. Heat on medium, until almost boiling, then remove from burner.  Bubbles will form around the sides of the pan and it will be steamy.

3. In a separate bowl use a hand mixer to beat the eggs and remaining 1/3 cup sugar until a thick stream drips from the beaters.

4. Pour 1 cup of the warm milk into a bowl and slowly drizzle in the egg mixture.  DO NOT pour all of it in the milk.  The eggs have to be tempered with the warm milk, otherwise you will have scrambled eggs.  Then, add the rest fo the milk mixture and stir.  Pour the egg/milk mixture back into the clean pot and cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens, about ten minutes,  while stirring constantly.

5. Take the mixture off the heat and stir in the raspberries.

6. Pour mixture in a large bowl and put in the fridge with plastic wrap placed directly on the top.  Chill for 3 hours or more.  Pour mixture in the frozen barrel of an ice cream maker, it takes about 20 - 25 minutes to churn it.  When done scoop out of barrel, put it in a container and freeze for 8 hours or until firm.

NOTE:  This recipe will have to be made in 2 batches depending on your ice cream maker. To check to see if ice cream is done churning, it should be thick and churning over the top of the blender part of the ice cream maker.