Tasty Tomato Soup

It's the end of the season for the garden. Vines are withering, and the last of the harvest is in hand.

These Manyel tomatoes shine like spotlights amidst the shambles of the rest of the garden. I had planted them specifically to make a Golden Roasted Tomato soup, but now eating mostly raw, I wanted to use them without the oven roasting process. Roasting produces a deeply rich tomato-y flavor, which I have been tinkering to reproduce. So far, I'm still not there.

But this recipe is close, and very yummy all on it's own.

You can use red or yellow or orange or striped or purple...whatever color tomato caught your eye in the seed catalog for this season! Or, visit your local Farmer's Market, which should be overflowing with tomatoes right now.

TASTY TOMATO SOUP

In a high-speed blender (the Vita-Mix is my workhorse), blend smooth:

*8 fully ripe medium tomatoes - or equivalent (cored and halved; don't have to peel unless you want; squeeze out as many seeds as you can)

*4-8 pitted dates (depends on how sweet you like your tomato soup)

*1 tsp. lemon juice

*about 2 c. very warm water (whatever produces a thick, creamy soup)

Add:

*2 stalks celery, chopped

*1 carrot, chopped

*small handful fresh basil, rough chopped

Blend until incorporated or as fine as you want - completely smooth is OK, too!

*Season with a pinch of cayenne, and Bragg's Liquid Aminos to taste.

Serve with a sprinkle of chopped scallions and raw sunflower seeds.

I'm going to try adding some tahini next batch, see if I can get closer to that intense roasted flavor...it's fun to experiment, and it tastes good no matter what!

If you want to thicken a thin soup, try adding some ground golden flax seeds (slightly milder flavor and less intrusive color than the brown flax). Also adds the outstanding benefits of flax, so don't be shy about your thin soup!

If you play with your soup (in a nice way, of course), I would be happy to hear the results...