Tomato Soup

You could always open a can, right?

Or. You could get big, ripe, delicious local tomatoes at the height of season and do it yourself. That’s my choice, hands down. The difference is astounding.

There are two ways to do this. The lazy way and the correct way. I’ve done both and the correct way is better, but the lazy way is perfectly fine. You just have to make some concessions to perfection. Up to you, honestly.

The correct way is to peel and seed the tomatoes. This involves cutting a big X into the bottom of your fat tomatoes. Get the big ones, and if you can find the heirlooms, even better. Carve out the stem nubbin at the top and then drop them into a pot of boiling water. They will float, and after a minute or two you will see the skin begin to peel away from the incision point. When you see that you are going to scoop the tomato out and plunge it into a sink of cold, cold water. This shocks the tomato and stops the cooking. But it also shocks the skin and allows you to slide it right off like a bra at the end if the day.

Do this for at least 8 tomatoes. Allow them to cool enough to handle, and then poke your thumb right into the heart of that sucker. The seeds and the pulp will squish out from the flesh. Keep the flesh, ditch the pulp.

Place the mashed tomatoes into a crock pot and cover with your chicken stock. Dust the top with garlic powder, onion powder, 2 pinches of salt and a bay leaf if you have it. Leave to cook for 2-3 hours.

When the timer dings, using a hand blender, blend the tomatoes and broth to a smooth consistency. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

If you don’t feel like peeling or seeding the tomatoes, you can get away with not. The end product will not be nearly as smooth or as fine, but it will taste precisely the same. I wouldn’t serve it to guests, but if you want a quicker version for yourself on a Sunday afternoon, who am I to judge?