Food Halo

This year some friends of mine asked if I'd like to split a CSA share that they had been interested in trying. Saying yes to that offer was one of the best decisions I've made in a long time. Once a week we receive a box full of fresh, clean, organic goodies. Most offerings I've been familiar with, however, there were a few items that were relatively new to me like Pea Shoots, Kohlrabi and Delicata Squash. I look forward to receiving an ingredient foreign to me and figuring out what to do with it. I've come up with some delicious recipes for the odd items but my all time favorite recipe that I create from the CSA items was inspired by the noble tomato. I have to admit, at one point I did not know what I would do if I received one more tomato, my fridge was overflowing with the fruit. I made pasta sauce, salsa, put them in salads, topped tacos, placed them in sandwiches, and then one day I decided to make a soup. The soup I made is one of the best tomato soups I've ever had; it's creamy, spicy and full flavored. So if you find yourself inundated with the season's final tomato bounty give this recipe a try!

Velvet Tomato Soup

5 large tomatoes
2 medium bell peppers (any color you like)
1-4 Serano or Jalapeno chiles, depending on how spicy you like it
1 medium onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
½ cup heavy cream
Salt and Pepper

Pierce the bell peppers and chiles just once and place them under a broiler until the skins are charred, turn the peppers a couple times while cooking to char all sides. Remove peppers and chiles from broiler and place in a large bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a plate so that the steam is trapped in the bowl. After a few minutes remove from bowl and peel the skin from the flesh. Remove the seeds and stem and dice the peppers and chiles.

To remove the skin from the tomatoes, score an X on the bottom of each tomato and place them in a pot of boiling water for about 10-20 seconds, remove from the water and let cool slightly. Peel the skin from the tomatoes then de-seed and dice.

Saute the onions and carrots until translucent and tender. Add the garlic, tomatoes, peppers and chiles. Cook until all vegetables are very tender. Place vegetables in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Pass the puree through a large mesh seive back into the pot. Bring the puree to a simmer then reduce the heat. Add the vinegar, cream and salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!