Earthy Eats: Tomatoes Two Ways

Summer is the season for tomatoes.  My favorite meals to make with them are a simple sauce with pasta and a nice hearty soup.  I've always found it weird that it is considered a fruit since it has such a vegetable vibe to it.  However, when you view the tomato, who can resist a fresh piece with a slice of mozzarella and basil.  It's delicious even in its simplest form.

Here is a recipe that can go two different ways.  The first is a light summer marinara sauce and the other is a simple fresh tomato soup.  Both are easy to make and the best part is you can feed up to four people for under $5!  So put aside the jar sauce and return the Campbell's soup cans to the pantry and get ready for a healthy, fresh serving of summer.

Summer Marinara Sauce

All you will need are 10 - 15 Roma tomatoes or 8 - 12 Beefsteak/vine tomatoes, fresh basil and parsley, extra virgin olive oil and fresh garlic.

First, put about 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a sauce pan and heat on low.  While that's getting hot chop your garlic.  Now, I love garlic more than anyone I know so I use a lot.  You can use as much as you'd like.  For this recipe I used about 6 - 8 cloves.  Once your done drop in the garlic in the pan and saute for a couple of minutes.  Don't let it burn!  I usually buy my organic garlic at Stop & Shop because they sell packages for $4.  

Next, it's time to get your tomatoes ready.  I used Roma tomatoes because my boyfriend's mother gave me a ton from her garden.  But you can use any type of tomato you want to, just make sure its red.  If you don't have fresh tomatoes, that's fine too.  I use the canned versions all the time!  (You can buy Nature's Promise Organic Tomatoes for about $3 a can.  You might want to stop by the Produce Warehouse on Udall Road and check out what they have as well.)

So, for fresh tomatoes cut them in fourths and put them in a blender or a food processor and blend them up just a little bit.  You don't want to make soup yet!  For the canned, I suggest you use diced and do the same or buy crushed and skip this step altogether.  Try to buy canned tomatoes with no salt added the next time you go shopping.  Its always better to control the salt in your food because most of the time there is way too much of it.

Add the tomatoes to the pan and sautee on low heat.  Make sure everything blends well.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper and chop up some parsley and basil.  I add a lot of fresh herbs to my food.  Its the best way to get simple, healthy flavor.  For this recipe I used about 3 -4 tablespoons each.  Definitely stop by the Farmers Market for these and support your local farmers.

Finally, add the herbs to the sauce and heat for about 20 minutes or so.  The whole process should take about 30 minutes.  That's why I love this sauce!  There is no need to slave over the stove to make a yummy sauce.  You can even make a big pot of it and jar it up for future dinners.  

Summer Tomato Soup

All you need to do to make the sauce a soup is add some veggie broth.  Aadd it slowly until its the consistency you like.  You shouldn't need a lot.  If you feel the need to blend the sauce a little more, that's fine.  You should make the recipe work for you.  A little crusty bread on the side and some Parmesan cheese on top and your ready to eat!  Best Market has a nice selection of bread so stop in and pick up a loaf.

Take advantage of summer and create light and feel good meals for your family.  These two dishes are even great for when you have some unexpected dinner guests because they're so easy.  They will think you were cooking for hours!  Know that you are cooking a healthy dish that is not only filled with nutrients, but doesn't make you too full after you eat.

Remember, when you're buying tomatoes always choose organic.  They have three times the amount of lycopene than non-organic. This awesome fruit is packed with potassium, lycopene and also helps reduce cholesterol. 

So sit back, eat up and enjoy!