* Creamy Tomato Soup

Up until a couple of years ago, we had a medium sized greenhouse in the back garden that was chock full of tomatoes every September... but only above waist height.

This is because the dog likes tomatoes, and if we didn't get to them quickly enough, she'd wander in whenever she felt like a snack and chew the bottoms off of all of the tomatoes she could reach. As she got older, she'd just suck them as she walked by - so we never took a chance on picking anything that was at Sammy's head height.

We got rid of the greenhouse two Summers ago, because neither of us had the time to pay it the attention it needed - and although life is certainly easier without having to disinfect it annually, replace broken panes and lovingly tend the vegetables on a daily basis... I miss it.

I haven't made a tomato soup with fresh tomatoes in two years, and there's nothing quite like it. So when I "came by" (in a totally legal fashion without actually purchasing them)... a kilo of fresh tomatoes - I knew exactly what I was going to do with them.

Make a pie... kiiiiidding!!!

My mum makes a lovely Mediterranean style tomato soup with peppers and whatnot in it, but this creamy version has always been my own "go to" recipe because it uses up my bendy carrots and reminds me of Heinz tomato soup... but without the indigestion.

Years ago, when only a little girl (many, many, MANY moons ago) - my darling mum introduced me to mashed potatoes with a tin of tomato soup poured over the top... because it's what she used to have when she was a little girl.

My mum is the reason that my bath towels don't meet in the front.

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Creamy Tomato Soup Recipe

Serves 4

Prep time - 20 minutes (including blending and sieving)
Cooking time - 1hr 5 minutes
Total time - 1hr 25 minutes

You will need
A large saucepan with lid
A food blender/ stick blender
A sieve and bowl

Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
1oz/30g butter
2 red onions - sliced
2 cloves garlic - crushed
2 large carrots - peeled and sliced
1 medium potato - peeled and diced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried basil
1 kg fresh tomatoes - quartered or halved depending on size
1 pint 8 fl oz/800ml chicken stock (or vegetable stock if vegetarian)
salt and black pepper
3.5 fl oz/100ml low fat creme fraiche


Method

• Heat the oil and butter in the saucepan over a medium heat and throw in the onion and garlic. Cook gently for 5 minutes.
• Add carrots, potato and herbs and pop the lid on. Cook for 10 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally to prevent burning/sticking.
• Add the tomatoes and give it all a good stir. Pop the lid on again and leave to simmer gently for 20 minutes. This allows the tomatoes to break down and get juicy.
• Stir in the chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Lid on. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are completely cooked.
• Remove from stove and allow to cool slightly before putting through a blender (or using a stick blender) to puree the soup.
• Pour the soup through a sieve into a bowl and use the back of a ladle to push the soup through and leave the tomato skins and pips behind.
• Wipe out the saucepan with kitchen paper/roll and pour the sieved soup back into it. Return to the stove.
• Pour in the creme fraiche and gently heat the soup until it's warm/hot again.
• Serve with warm brown french stick (or whatever else you fancy) and an extra swirl of creme fraiche.

EAT

Savoury Courgette and Cheddar Loaf is absolutely scrumptious with this.

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