Posted on 07/25/2017 3:33:39 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I’m posting this Tomato Soup recipe from last year again, because even though it’s a hot soup, which we may not want in Summer, and the recipe uses canned tomatoes, it’s a great use for fresh tomatoes if you have a ‘bumper crop’. It’s also a wonderful starter for any season: light and bright – not a heavy creamy soup; and you might like it as a lighter change for the soup course even at Thanksgiving or Christmas.
The original recipe comes from 'The Chesapeake Bay Cookbook', by John Shields (highly recommended!) but I've goofed-around with it a bit. I leave out the sugar, because I like a really tart tomato soup - and I usually throw in a lot of dried basil, instead of using thyme or fresh basil. (Now that I’ve got my year-round basil via Aerogarden, that may change.)
Making this is a bit of work, and you do need a food mill to do it properly; but it’s worth it - and it freezes well.
Deal Island Summer Tomato Soup
1 C. Butter, or Olive Oil (I usually use half butter, half oil)
3 green bell peppers, diced
2 C. diced onions
2 C. diced Celery
2 T. chopped Garlic (opt.)
3 C. water
4 lbs. Tomatoes, Peeled and Cored; or Canned (I usually use a big ol' can of tomatoes from Costco.)
4 tsps. Sugar (or less, or opt.)
2 tsps. Salt
2 Bay leaves
1 tsp. dried thyme, or 6 fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp. ground Nutmeg
Freshly ground pepper
Garlic Croutons
Melt butter or heat oil in soup pot. Add onions, celery, bell peppers and garlic. Cook, stirring, 10 minutes.
Add water, bring to boil, then simmer 30 to 40 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, sugar (if used), salt, bay leaves, thyme and nutmeg. Simmer 45 minutes.
Pass soup through food mill. Return to pot and reheat. Adjust seasonings. Serve topped with freshly ground pepper and croutons.
(We usually double this recipe.)
Lately, while roaming around on YouTube, I’ve often seen recipes for ‘7-Up Biscuits’. I had never heard of this, and made the mistake of using a recipe that was NOT a good one last weekend. The result was a mixed success – the batter came out so runny that I had to just pour it into an oblong pan and bake it like Corn Bread. It was very tasty – but not biscuits ;-)
I did retroactive research, and found that my recipe used half as much of the biscuit mix as necessary. I learned my lesson! and my wild birds are getting a special treat this week ;-)
Here, from 'Angie's Southern Kitchen', is a recipe with the right proportions:
http://www.angiessouthernkitchen.com/2012/06/7-up-biscuits/
Earlier this week, Freeper Covenantor showed us a wonderful pie using apple roses; and whimsically suggested Bacon Roses, for which we actually found a recipe. And while I don’t think that ‘bacon roses’ are something I’d actually make, it reminded me of something I used to make for kids’ stockings at Christmas: Dollar Bill Roses:
'Thrifty Fun' has the instructions for crafting them:
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf67951187.tip.html
-JT
This week: Miscellaneous! Tomatoes, Biscuits – and perhaps a get-ahead craft idea for your Christmas – here in July.
(Early this week, since I missed last week.)
If you would like to be on or off of this weekly cooking thread ping-list, please send a private message.
-JT
Lovely! I’m off to Maine in a week and look forward to all the fresh veggies in the Rockland Farmer’s Market.
I’ll post my Chicken Pot Pie recipe which is made with biscuits.
This is a perfectly yummy side dish that lends itself well to freezing until needed.
Zucchini/Yellow Squash/Mushroom Casserole
Preparation 20 minutes, serves 8
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• ½ cup plus 2 Tbs margarine or oil, divided
• 6 medium zucchini, thinly sliced (peel if you desire)
• 4 medium yellow squash, thinly sliced (peel if you desire)
• 1- 8 ounce package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 beaten eggs
• ½ cup or so of flour to bind squash mixture together
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 12 saltines, crushed or 1 cup corn flake crumbs.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt ½ cup margarine or oil. Add vegetables; cook, uncovered, stirring often, until tender, approximately 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Remove from heat and add beaten eggs and flour. Mix well. Transfer squash mixture into a 13-x-9-x-2-inch baking dish; set aside. In a medium saucepan over low heat, heat remaining 2 tablespoons margarine/oil. Remove from heat. Stir in crushed crackers or corn flake crumbs. Sprinkle mixture over casserole.
Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown.
I make this dish frequently, as I find it delicious.
Hai! I’d like someone who has a great recipe for tomato soup. I hated it when I was a kid but somewhere there’s one that’s good. I’m thinking basil and garlic something or other. Ideas?
Have a good time! And Chicken Pot Pie is my favorite comfort food!
For those who like something spicy, here are a couple of recipes from a friend for fresh Salsa:
Kristie’s Salsa
Adjust according to your liking
Roast the tomatoes on the stove top until they are soft, the outside will be charred, you can use any pan but don’t oil it, cast iron works well, medium heat, turn the tomatoes often. While I roast the tomatoes I also roast the Jalapeños and or Serrano chilies. They also will be charred on the outside but not too much, you just want the peel charred. Then you can put some onion in the blender with a clove of garlic, some cilantro and a touch of oregano. Add salt, then put the tomatoes and chilies in the blender and blend away. I like to blend for a minute or two so that all the flavors blend together.
I usually use this amount
2 tomatoes
6 chilies
1/4 regular or small onion yellow or white
1 clove of garlic if it is large
a handful of cilantro, the leaves more than the stems
a pinch of oregano fresh is better but dried works fine
and as much salt as enjoyed (a spoon or two)
another Salsa recipe that is good:
boil the tomatoes with Arbol chiles, these are small red chilies you can buy at any store like Safeway or Winco. They are really hot but really good. The tomatoes and chilies should be soft. You want to add the tomatoes and the chilies to the blender over the onion, garlic and oregano and cilantro, then follow the same directions as above, except add more oregano. When you pour the tomatoes and chilies in the blender you will want to add a small amount of the water, just enough to make is smooth so it pours out of the blender easily. I would use about the same as above 2-3 tomatoes and about 20 arbol chilies.
That DOES sound good, & a neighbor is keeping me supplied with zucchini. I’ll give it a try.
Here’s a zucchini recipe I ran across posted on Facebook. A good use of zucchinis, plus it’s Atkins Diet friendly...
Zucchini Pizza Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
• 4 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 can (15 ounces) Italian tomato sauce
• 1 medium green or sweet red pepper, chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°. Place zucchini in colander; sprinkle with salt. Let stand 10 minutes, then squeeze out moisture.
Combine zucchini with eggs, Parmesan and half of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. Press into a greased 13x9-in. or 3-qt. baking dish. Bake 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat, crumbling beef, until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato sauce; spoon over zucchini mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; add red pepper. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes longer.
Freeze option: Cool baked casserole; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap casserole; reheat on a lower oven rack until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165°. Yield: 8 servings.
Look up-thread :-)
I tried the Deal Island Tomato Soup recipe after I had enjoyed a similar one in a bread bowl at a local restaurant. It’s light and bright; not quite, but almost, a tomato-basil ‘consomme’.
Chacoal grilled Okra or Green Beans.
First, you need to spend a few bucks to get a non stick skillet with a removeable handle.
Outset 76163 Grill Skillet with Removable Handle, Non-Stick
by Outset. Available at from Amazon, Kohls, Bed Bath and Beyound and other stores. Grilling skillets have small holes on the bottom and side to allow the charcoal flavor to infuse the good stuff.
Most grilling skillets come with connected metal handle. That is a good way to get 2nd or 3rd degree burns when trying to remove the skillet from the grill.
You remove this handle after you place the skillet on the grill and replace it while stiring or to lift the skillet off the grill to pour the Okra or Green beans into or on their serving bowl or platter.
I charcoal/cook the Okra or Green Beans for about 5 minutes per sided or stir them twice/three times in 10 minutes. We take the meat off the grill, cover it and let it sit for 10 minutes.
While the grilled meat is sitting, I cook the Okra or green beans as noted above.
Start with the Okra. Use fresh Okra and no longer nor thicker than your index finger. A little smaller works better. The bigger the pod, the stringier and tougher.
Wash the Okra in running/cold water and drain and pat dry with a paper towel. Put the okra in a serving bowl to add olive oil until each pod is lightly covered!
.
Simple and good recipes with minimal prep or after dinner clean up. We use the prep bowls/ platters to s
We do the following seasoning after the above. Use one of the below or a combo.
1. Plain ground pepper or ground sea salt.
2. Steak seasoning by itself
3. Taco Seasoning
Put the seasoned Okra Pods into a serving bowl, not plastic.
I stoke and respread the coals and replace the grill. I put the grilling skillet over the hot coals and spray it with a no stick grilling spray.
Pour in the seasonded Okra pods and use wooden flat edge stirrer to rotate and insure the pods are cooked. Avoid burning the pods or under cooking. Takes anywhere from 6 to 10 minutes depending on how hot the coals are.
Grilled Green Beans. This can be the whole meal.
Buy a about a pound per two people. wash the green beans and snap off the stem about a half inch down.
Wrap the green beans 4-6 with a slice of Pepper Bacon or Proscuito. Use a couple of wet toothpicks to hold the meat in/on the beans.
Preheat the skillet or you can grill them on a hot grill 2-3 inches from the hot coals. Turn them about 1/3 around every 3-4 minutes, until they are done on all sides.
Remove them with long tongs and place on a platter and put a single layer of paper towel over them until you serve them.
Two of these bean groupings are enough for my wife or I.
Our grown family members eat about 3 and the teens eat more.
We serve with a Caesar Salad and a brown rice or mac side dish.
After 3-5 minutes when a drop of water on the skill sizzles and evaporate
We serve the Okra with grilled salmon, steak, chicken, good sausages or grilled pork. The green beans can be a full meal or served with the above. I grill a ham steak sometimes to go with the bacon or proscuito and green beans.
There is minimal prep and cleanup after the meal is devoured.
Any left overs are put into a sealable bag. Then the next day we slice and dice them to be added to a good green salad for a good, easy and quick dinner or lunch.
My husband will like that - making salsa and ‘pico de gallo’ are among his specialties.
Oh! The cilantro reminded me that MomwithHope asked in last week’s thread about coriander seed. My husband says to dry it, and then grind it for use in Indian, Mexican, South Asian recipes. (He also says it’s one of the herbs/spices that come in the little pack with store-bought corned beef.)
Dry it, store it airtight, and don’t grind it until you’re ready to use it in a recipe - it’s one of those things that loses a lot of flavor sitting around as a ground-up powder.
Of all the boastful gardeners that promised me tomaters this year, I just got my first from a non gardener that has gardener friends.
Delicious!!!!
I ate some sliced with chili garlic sauce, shrimp, hoisin, salt and pepper and some sliced with mozzarella, ham and balsamic vinaigrette (and lashings of salt and pepper)
LOL!
My father in law (RIP) used to send us his first tomatoes. He’d actually put them in a box and mail them to us USPS. They almost always arrived with every tomato entirely intact, and we had the best BLTs for a few days every July.
We’ve really missed that, the last few years - not just the tomatoes, but the love and pride that he took in his garden, and the satisfaction he got from it.
That looks like the kitchen in my husband’s family home, when his dad was getting ready to do one of his sauce runs every Summer :-)
Ahh...
My buddy is just back from Rockland today!
North Atlantic Blues Festival, lounging on the coast and all that.
I have never eaten Okra! But my husband and I decided recently that we will try it. Do you think we can adapt your recipe to a sorry indoor electric grill?
I eat a lot of pico so that’s how I came up with the spanish rice recipe, I threw some leftover in and added the black beans. Thanks for the tip on the coriander. I cook some Mexican but not much of the other 2.
So good!
Saved into the Nom File; we get flooded with squash in the summer, and I am always up for finding new things to do with it. (You know the real reason people in the South don’t roll their windows down in the summer? Somebody might throw a bag of squash in your car against your will.)
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