Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Love from the Food Processor: Tomato Soup

With fruit and veg needing attention, the food processor got a workout.

A cantaloupe was saved here, with Cuisinart help.

And there were a bunch of WOW farm tomatoes that needed love. With temps cooling a bit here in HNL, instead of salsa, the Romas and low-acid orange tomatoes went into my favorite soup. We had this with La Tour  Kalamata olive bread. And butter.

When you make the tomato soup recipe, you might want to add a teaspoon or more of agave or other sweetener, depending on the acid level of your tomatoes - and spices. Also, the ginger I used was very spicy hot, so I pulled it all out of the pot before serving! And instead of using powdered coconut, I used the half can I had leftover in the refrigerator, from another recipe.

Side trip: Romas are not my favorite tomatoes, but that's what's left when you get to the Blaisdell Farmer's Market late. I love the yellow and orange low-acid tomatoes best for eating out of hand, or in a salad. I don't usually care for cherry tomatoes, but Toon at Fort St. had the largest I'd ever seen. Sweet, too. Since I started buying tomatoes from farmers markets, I have not paid for one from a supermarket. They just aren't any good. I admit that I sometimes go without when I can't get to the farmers.

Imua! I see sweet potato coconut soup in my future!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Sunday Dinner: Crab Cakes and Corn on the Cob

A large can of crab was a bargain at the market. Tonight, I pried it open to find backfin meat and very little extra moisture. I added a tbsp of mayo, some beaten egg, Worcestershire sauce, a bit of salt. I dipped the cakes in the rest of the beaten egg, then panko. What a mess!

Still, they turned out beautifully after they were fried in butter. Served them with hapa rice - half white, half brown, fresh corn from the farmer's market - from the Ewa plain. Stir-fried mini peppers with sweet onion, Roma tomatoes and taro from the Ala Moana farmer's market. Added a splash of white wine and garlic salt.

What an extravagant dinner - such an indulgence! Still, those home-cooked crab cakes turned out to cost $2 each vs $10 in a restaurant. There were six of them, we each ate one and 1/2. There are 3 left over - making a super lunch for the next day!

What I need to learn is when to stop cooking things like taro and sweet potatoes. They were a bit mushy. Any tips?

Sunday, October 2, 2011

It's Too Hot to Cook

Though I may have to cook soup, soon. Yes, in heat that ranges from 79 now at 12:30 am, with 72%  humidity. There are tomatoes that aren't getting any younger. And a red Garnet yam. And large, juicy shrimp.

So, that's THREE soups, asking to be made: Indian-spiced tomato soup, creamy sweet potato coconut soup, and Singaporean laksa.

For the moment, though: it's too hot to cook! So, this is what we've been eating:

Cantaloupe (local from Hawaii, hopefully sans listeria) with prosciutto

Salads of cucumber, sweet mini peppers and sweet red onion slivers

Toasted La Brea rosemary olive oil bread, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, topped with WOW tomatoes sprinkled with sea salt. Juicy!

Here's another idea for those tomatoes: chopped and mixed with capers, olive oil, garlic, sweet onion, sweet basil chiffonade. Sorry, but you have to cook up a pot of spaghetti or linguine to toss it with this cold tomato sauce! Serve with shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and a glass of Pinot Grigio or a light red. Serve with the cantaloupe and prosciutto from above. Dessert: your choice of sorbetto. Heaven!