Tomato Festival Cookbook Recipes

Lawrence Davis-Hollander is the Director and founder of the Eastern Native Seed Conservancy. He was trained as a botanist and ecologist at Connecticut College and has conducted vegetation inventories for the Nature Conservancy. He earned a Master's degree at Harvard University, where he studied ethnobotany with Richard Evans Schultes, one of the world's foremost ethnobotanists. He spends much of his free time actively involved with the Conservancy's horticulture program, as his background includes extensive experience in organic farming, gardening, and ornamental plants. He is the former Director of Horticulture at the Berkshire Botanical Garden in Stockbridge, and is a Research Associate with the University of Massachusetts Laboratories for Natural Products, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. In his spare time he gardens, cooks, and thinks about gardening and cooking.

Summer Minestrone – Recipe Page 123
Adapted from The Tomato Festival Cookbook, by Lawrence Davis-Hollander (Storey Books, 2004).

Simple Solution
Ah, the bounty of summer! Gardens overflow with tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, peppers, and dark leafy greens. Who can resist them? But sometimes it can be hard to figure out what to do with all of them! Well, this lovely soup is a perfect way to use those lively colors, flavors, and textures.

Fragrant with herbs and bursting with nourishment from the good earth, you can make this one-pot meal in advance (during those cooler morning hours) or even freeze it. Either way, Summer Minestrone is a favorite with both kids and adults, a key player in the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 or 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 10-inch stalk celery, coarsely chopped
4 cups (about 12 to 15 large) chopped ripe plum tomatoes
4 to 6 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 stem basil, plus extra sprigs for garnish
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) penne, elbow macaroni, small shells, or other medium-sized pasta
12 green beans, washed, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium green or yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 2-inch by 1/4-inch strips
1 medium leek, washed, white and tender green parts cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 stems Swiss chard, stalks and leaves cut into 1-inch strips
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium yellow summer squash, sliced

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil and stir in the garlic. Let it soften for a couple of minutes, then stir in the carrot and celery. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 4 cups of the broth, oregano, thyme, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir. Cover the pan, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a brisk boil over high heat. Stir in the pasta, followed by the green beans, bell pepper, and leek. Cook briskly, stirring often, for 3 minutes.

3. Reduce the heat so the soup is simmering and add the chard, zucchini, and summer squash. If the mixture is very thick, or if you would simply like it thinner, add some or all of the remaining broth. Return to a simmer and cover the pan. Continue cooking the soup for 5 minutes, or until the pasta and the vegetables are tender. Serve immediately, or cool and reheat as needed. Garnish with basil leaves. Check for seasoning before serving and add more salt and pepper to taste if necessary.

Serves 4 to 8.

Chilled Creole Tomato Soup – Recipe Page 115
Adapted from The Tomato Festival Cookbook, by Lawrence Davis-Hollander (Storey Books, 2004).

Simple Solution
In the Creole country of Louisiana they know all about hot weather, and the region's zesty, spicy foods are perfect for those steamy nights on the bayou--or in your own back yard. Fresh garden vegetables, especially rich red tomatoes, star in this French-inspired Creole soup, served chilled with a dollop of a garlicky black olive tapenade.

The simple soup cooks in only 15 minutes, but the taste is sublime. As you sip it, you can pretend you're on a balcony overlooking the French Quarter in New Orleans. Jazz plays softly in the background. The moon is rising. Life is good.

INGREDIENTS

Soup

3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 pounds large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 sweet red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 small ancho chile pepper
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 handful fresh basil
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Tapenade

4 cloves garlic
3/4 cup pitted black olives
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. To prepare the soup, in a large pan over medium-high heat, saute the garlic in the olive oil, allowing it to cook for a moment without browning. Add the tomatoes along with the bell and chile peppers and simmer for 15 minutes, then stir in the vinegar, thyme, and basil.

2. Remove from heat and puree in a food mill or food processor. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill soup for several hours.

3. To prepare the tapenade, in a food processor combine the garlic, olives, and lemon juice. Puree into a paste while slowly adding olive oil.

4. To serve, pour the soup into chilled soup bowls and drizzle with a spoonful of the tapenade.

Serves 4 - 6.

TOMATO-ORANGE COCKTAIL
"The Tomato Festival Cookbook,"
by Lawrence Davis-Hollander's
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

3 stems of mint, plus 4 to 6 sprigs for garnish
3 cups tomato juice
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Salt
Sugar

Bruise the mint by rolling it with a rolling pin or bottle to release the flavors. Place the mint stems in a tall pitcher and add the juices. Stir, then season lightly with salt and sugar to taste.

Serve over ice, or chill for 1 hour before serving. Garnish glasses or the pitcher with the mint leaves.