So that it hardly seems excessive that I should run now from one job to the other, plan dinner menus in advance, think about a post when riding the bus home. The days are, for the most part, orderly and I know that I have made them that way. By the time you’re in your upper fifties (56 is upper, isn’t it?), you have either given in to chaos or you have perfected order. I have perfected order.
Today, that order is pristine and solid. With Ed away, my day is stripped down to only these essentials: grade exams, work in shop, eat dinner, post on Ocean. That’s it.
I’m thinking -- as I wake up in that predawn hour of undefined light -- I’m thinking that I should add to it. And so, even though I have just made a Cousances pot (I have the old one, before Le Creuset bought the company) of roasted tomato soup, and hashed a truckload of brussel sprouts (with olive oil, garlic, lemon juice and white wine), I want to go to the market. I want to stare at crates of produce. Because too soon, the market season will be over.
So this is what I leave for you: a morning (one of the last) at the Westside Community Market. As the sun breaks. And the pears come out of their purple shadows and the carrots and pumpkins show off their carotene pigments in the sudden burst of early light.
Nina, will you share your roasted tomato soup recipe/technique? I have a freezer full of them. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteTrudy -- here's my take on soup: it's the best place to experiment and run wild.
ReplyDeleteI can give you the basics and you'll be able to adjust it as you see fit.
So, first comes the roasting part. In the summer,I buy maybe a dozen romas, split them in half lengthwise, toss them in a spoon or two of olive oil, spread them in a pan and bake them in a 400 oven for about half hour. In the winter, I cheat. I buy maybe half dozen romas for the roasting.
So then comes the cooking part. In my wonderful castiron/enamel big pot, I sautee a huge chopped onion in oilve oil, add crushed garlic, sautee some more (not too long now!) and then add the following:
In the summer, I add the roasted tomatoes and some chopped up other tomatoes and some torn up basil and maybe a quart of chicken broth or beggie broth, depending on what's there. I will add a couple of cups of water if I feel there's too much in the tomato department. I'll sprinkle all with salt, pepper, and sometimes with red pepper flakes -- just a touch.
In the winter, I add the roasted tomatoes, spices and veggie/chicken broth, and also the frozen tomatoes, or a combination of frozen and canned tomatoes.
It all gets cooked for about half hour. Then, if Ed is around, I take my immersible blender and blend it very little. He likes chunk. If he's not around (eg this week), I puree it longer. Sometimes I remove some of the floating skins, but most often I do not.
It tastes even better the second day!
Your photos taken at sunrise resonate deeply with me. After 40 years looking at sunrises and sunsets as a professional with a camera pressed to my face, that sweet golden magical light never fails to thrill. The quality of light during the 20 minutes before a sunrise and after a sunset is soft, low contrast light, shadowless, gently wrapping around a subject, like a gentle caress.
ReplyDeleteThe hike to location in darkness in the hours before sunrise is always a favorite time. The anticipation of the session, the feeling of being prepared and ready, the simple joy of walking in starlight, the chill air heightening your senses, finally arriving at the location, setting up and waiting. Waiting for the sweet light. Not yet. Get ready. Now. Shooting. Moving. Shooting. Something new caches your eye. Shooting. Moving. The light is constantly changing minute by minute. Shooting. Then it is over. 20 minutes of creating. 20 minutes of suspending judgement. 20 minutes of bliss.
Your soup sounds yummy!
I have a 14 month old, a part-time legal practice, and a desire to eat simple, healthy meals. Your food stories are wonderful...it would be great to read more in your posts about recipes and cook book recommendations; I just found a recipe in your comments. Thanks for the daily inspiration.
ReplyDeleteHi Nina - beautiful photos. Someone told me today that you had snapped a photo of me in my bear hat (yes, I'm the bear-hat girl). I'm glad you came out to the market last weekend!
ReplyDelete