Summertime. Tomato Bisque

Today, because it is summer, because the fruits of my labor are shining bright, because I have a 'Plethora of Tomatoes', I am sharing one of the easiest recipes in my arsenal.... Tomato Bisque.
Now, I'll just let you know, I don't even like Tomato Soup. It's not for me. Neither is V-8 or Clamato, or Bloody Marys. And believe me, I've tried to like Bloody Marys. Can't do it.

Tomato Bisque on the other hand... is wonderful.

Really it's not a recipe, it is just style and technique. So I hope you have style, and get a feel for some technique... by osmosis... or whatever.

First off, the fruits of my labor. This has been a really good year, especially after last summer's poor tomato growing debacle.

kind of sexy , aren't they?

So let's get down to business.

Start off with some 'over ripened tomatoes'. I happen to have many. And so should you. If not, steal some from a friend who is growing tomatoes. It happens. Blame the theft on 'kids these days'.

Also, you'll want to dice half an onion, a carrot or 2 and a celery stick or 2. Doesn't have to be perfect. It will get pureed down later. Oh, and garlic. You always need garlic. There are a few cloves in there. Maybe more. I can't help myself. No one can, for the record.



The tomatoes get roughly chopped. About that many. I hope you have a good knife. They are so underrated.

Important next step: Open yourself a bottle of white wine, most any kind will do.

**If you do not have wine. STOP here. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200.

Fortunately, I have wine and this day it was Sauvignon Blanc. Hope I spelled that right. If you are a Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio person, Char or Pinot it up! Taste the wine by drinking a little... or so. OK. Now you are happy. Done. This is already fun. 

A pro-chef may want you blanch and peel the tomatoes first. Forget all that. Just the thought of blanching and peeling makes me wanna drink more wine, and not cook. More wine please.

Start sauteing your Mirepoix (fancy name for the onions, celery, carrots), and garlic in some nice olive oil with a bit of butter. I am using my Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. It is awesome.

Not too hot now, we don't want anything to burn, just get nice and soft. Release the flavors. RELEASE THE HOUNDS! Sorry, had to say that.

Smelling good now.

I also grow Thyme and Oregano. Because I can. And because I hate buying herbs. If you don't have fresh herbs, maybe you have some dried herbs... that will work just fine.

Add the herbs, some salt and pepper, cook it down for a few minutes... or until you can't take it any longer.

You can also add some red pepper flakes. I did, along with a dash of Old Bay Seasoning. I LOVE Old Bay.



Dump your chopped  tomatoes in and let the goodness happen. Stir it around a bit with a wooden spoon. Did you hear me? A wooden spoon. If you don't have a wooden spoon, "you're fired!". Stir them around and let them meld down. Is 'meld' even a word?

With the wooden spoon lingering, let this cook down a bit together until the tomatoes look kind of like this. The aroma. Soooo good.

Now, I didn't tell you about this earlier, but if you have any Sherry, this is the time to break it out. I didn't want to scare you earlier by thinking you would have to drink it. Your bisque, your pot of goodness will love it. If you don't have it, no problem, we already have the vino which adds plenty of character. Doesn't vino seem to add character to many things? ;)

Add a good cup or so of wine, let it cook down a bit, and a 1/2 cup or so of the sherry.

Important next step: If your kitchen has a door leading to it. DO NOT stand next to the door. It will be smelling so good by now, that someone may burst through the door to see what is being cooked. You could get hurt. Don't say I didn't warn you. MMMMmmmmmm.

After the wine/sherry has cooked down a bit ( a minute or two), add some Chicken Broth. Maybe 2 or 3 cups... whatever feels right. Or if you prefer, veggie broth. Some sort of broth, or you can even add water if you are out of broth. "Broth" is a funny word. Broth Broth Broth.

We are gonna let this simmer for awhile.

While it is simmering and you continue to 'test' the wine, something happens. You get  transformed into a zombie-like state. The aromas will be filling the entire household and there will be many eager eaters coming over, arms forward like a zombie. You may want to grab a camera for this! 

SNAP OUT OF IT! The way you fight the Zombie stare is with the secret ingredient. White Pepper. Take a whiff. Better now? Good.
Now I can go on and on about White Pepper. But I won't. Let me just say that it is a valuable spice. Excellent for Mashed Potatoes and BBQ sauces and... well. I digress. We'll do that another time.
It's a great time to add the White Pepper and continue simmering. Also, a dab of butter. For depth, for richness. We let the thing simmer for a total of say... 10 minutes, or so. It's all about how you feel.

For those with no White Pepper, you will have to come up with your own secret ingredient. If it is good, don't really make it a secret. Share, please. I did.

Give it a tast to check your seasonings, and when it it looks somewhat like this, it is pretty much done. We are ready for the best part.

(I really took this picture to capture the essence of the smell. It didn't work.)

POWER TOOLS! YES! I get to break out my favorite kitchen tool (besides the wooden spoons). The Imersion Blender. If you don't have one. It's too bad. Borrow mine! But really, you can pour it into a regular blender or a Cusinart. That will work. The Immersion blender is a good time, so let's do this.

After about a minute or so, this is how the final product will look. You are done. The bisque is ready to eat. 

I made some hearty salads ahead of time. With fresh tomatoes of course.

I also made some some toasted sourdough bread for 'croutons'. Toasted with Butter and Parmesean Cheese. My mouth is watering now. I swear it is. Dang it!

Please don't mind the kid's plate of food. That is for my boy. We gave him some soup too, but he likes to say the word "Hot" the whole time.

I tried to get a close-up to see the texture of the bisque, but dang I was hungry at this point and I could not focus very well. Haha, get it?

You can see some little bits of herbs and some tomato skin. It gives it zest. And it gives it a homemade feel. The bisque is so chock full of flavor and full bodiness, that you will want to make this all of the time. As a side dish, as a main dish, as breakfast, as dessert... okay, I overreached there. But it is good. More than good.

I love summer.

Good luck!