The Covered Dish: Cream of Tomato Soup, (Red Soup)

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This week I am featuring what I am hungry for, fresh tomato soup.  I had big plans

to feature breaded tomatoes.  I thought the recipe was in my cookbook, but I

have found that I’ve never really documented a recipe for my breaded tomato

dish.  I guess in the next 2-3 weeks I need to get one recorded.  This time of the

year soups still taste good on the cooler evenings.  Tomato, Asparagus and carrot

soups are great spring flavors to feature in lighter soup formats.

There are so many different ways to take a traditional recipe and enhance it for

the palate.  With the cream of tomato I think about smoking just a few whole

tomatoes and mixing a few smoked in with the regular tomatoes.  Or, how about

putting fresh smoked onion or celery into this dish.  Don’t smoke anything else

but one ingredient and you can just make a dish set up and ‘sing’, as I always say.

When I was growing up mom never thickened her tomato soups and she ‘never’

added cheese to this soup.  I enjoy just a little undertone of cheese in this, but

feel free to leave it out entirely.  The baking soda is to assist with the acidity level

of the soup.  As summer approaches reach for fresh basil from your herb garden

instead of dried.

Did I say herb garden?  Yes, yes, I did!   I put mine out this past week and I’ve got

two varieties of basil, oregano, chives, mint and one other herb I can’t recall at

this moment.  It is so wonderful to snip herbs from your own garden during the

summer and early fall months.  I surrounded mine with marigolds to help with

bug control, armadillos, squirrels or any foreign unwanted creatures who might

wander into my rather large herb pot.  This week I was also setting a few

flowering bulbs.  I did this Monday and on Friday when I was putting out the

herbs I discovered some critter had already dug up a couple of my bulbs!!!

We had a little bit of weather concerns in our area this past week, but nothing like

many other Midwestern communities.  Actually it’s been a beautiful week and

just about everything in the south is in full spring bloom.  You look through the

forest and see purple, yellow and white blooms everywhere.  (I live in the

National Forest.)  Now I’m waiting on the fresh rhubarb to arrive.  To me Vidalia

onions, rhubarb and asparagus are the signal that spring has really arrived.  We

had burgers on the grill last night with sautéed onions, but it won’t be at level #1

until the Vidalia’s arrive!

A few weeks ago I commented on how Table Rock Lake was low.  Not anymore,

we are filled back up and the fish are biting according to local fishing guides.  I’m

working on my tackle box at the moment and I am determined to check this out

for myself in the days to come.  Dinner needs to be checked so I’d best set the

recipe and scurry back to full kitchen duty.  Have a blessed week and squeeze the

most out of every day!  Simply yours, The Covered Dish.

www.thecovereddish.com

1 (14.5 oz.) can of diced tomatoes with garlic and onions

1 quart of tomatoes or 1 (14.5 oz.) can store bought whole tomatoes

2-3 tablespoons butter

1 pint of milk, (I used 2%)

1 pint of fat free half and half, sure use regular

Dried basil to taste

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup milk, for thickening

3 tablespoons flour

You will be using 2 separate pans to start this soup.  Place the quart of tomatoes

in a blender and smoothly mix, add about 2/3’s of the diced tomato blend.  Blend

these smooth.  Pour the smooth tomato mixture and the remaining tomato pieces

into a saucepan with the basil and pepper.  In another saucepan heat 1 cup of

milk, 1 cup of half and half, butter and soda.  When both saucepans have reached

about the same temperature combine the tomatoes into the milk mixture.  Stir to

blend, add cheese, and mix until smooth.  After the soup is thoroughly warm you

can whisk the flour into the remaining cup of milk.  Add the slurry to the soup and

continue with a whisk or spoon until smooth.  Do not allow to boil.  Don’t leave

tomato soup unattended as it can get too hot very very quickly.

Sometimes I add onions and peppers which I have sautéed in a small amount of

butter, celery is another good addition.  The truth is every time I make tomato

soup the recipe is slightly different.  Sometimes I don’t puree the tomatoes as

much and I leave more pieces floating.  Do what pleases you the most. Debbie

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