Well lovelies, it’s the tail end of tomato season in south Mississippi, which is making me act a lot like Gollum in The Lord of the Rings about each and every plump bright red orb that comes off my vines.
There’s really nothing better than the acidity and sweetness of a ripe summer tomato, and sometimes you want something other than a BLT or caprese salad, ammIright?
I’ve noticed that authentic, rural Italian food is a whole lot like traditional southern food… there’s an aversion to wasting food, there’s a preference for homegrown and local ingredients, and simplicity reigns. This version of pappa al pomodoro (bread and tomato soup) is the perfect example of something that came from Italy but really finds a home right here in summer in the south. It highlights and accentuates the flavors of fresh tomatoes and is just right for the rainy, cloudy afternoons we’ve been having as it’s warm, robust, and filling, but not too warm or too filling for the summer heat. (By the way, if you haven’t donated to the victims of the horrible flooding in south Louisiana, please take a minute to see how you can help here.)
Even though I wanted ALL of soup and all of the tomatoes for myself, I know that joy comes from sharing, not hoarding.
So, I decided to get as many decent tomatoes as I could find from a nearby farm and make a big pot of my favorite summer soup for my family that is derived from Bon Apetit’s excellent version. And then it was so good I made some more for even more members of my family. If you were here I’d make some for you, too.
- 4-5 Lbs of homegrown tomatoes, heirloom, beefsteak, whatever. (so, 4-5 large heavy tomatoes, or 8 medium ones)
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- ½ Tablespoon of Kosher salt and black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1½ Tablespoons fennel seed
- 8-10 leaves fresh basil, torn
- 1½ cups of day-old french bread (new orleans style baguettes are PERFECT) Crusts removed, and torn or cut into small cubes
- 5 Cups water
- ½ block of fresh Parmesan cheese (for serving. this can be omitted)
- FOR THE SOUP:
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
- Core and quarter your tomatoes.
- Mince the garlic.
- Toss the tomato, garlic, fennel seed, salt, pepper and olive oil in a large baking pan or two smaller ones and place in the oven. Roast for 30-35 minutes, turning the tomatoes once in the middle. Remove when the tomatoes are very soft and edges and skin have turned brown and crispy.
- After the tomatoes have cooled, remove the skins (they'll come off very easily, and you don't want them because they'll look like strings in your soup).
- Add the roasted tomato mixture into a 4 or 5 quart pot. Add in the torn basil, the bread, and the water and cook until the mixture has thickened and reduced a bit, about 10-15 minutes.
- Serve garnished with Parmesan crips and torn basil.
- FOR THE PARMESAN CRISPS: (These are SO easy but look and taste fancy!)
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Using a microplaner or other small size grater, grate the Parmesan cheese into 12 Quarter-sized piles onto parchment paper placed on a baking sheet.
- Skooch (this is southern for push together) each pile of cheese, making sure they are at least a 6 inches apart.
- Place in the oven and bake for 3-5 minutes (watch these closely) or until they are golden brown and have spread out into a crisp cookie shape.
- Serve on the soup.
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