Creamy Fresh Tomato Soup

September.  Season, we’re told, of mists and mellow fruitfulness.   The poet didn’t mention unending torrents of rain.  Perhaps an oversight on his part, or perhaps it didn’t scan.

Fortunately, my tomato plants are tucked up snugly in our old (but still weatherproof) greenhouse.  Unfortunately it is not large enough for me to grow more than five tomato plants throughout the summer which means I never have enough tomatoes for all the lovely tomato based meals I want to make.  Happily, this year we’ve been blessed with an amazing crop of cherry-type fruit on three of the plants.  They have a fabulous flavour, and have proved wonderfully prolific, despite the shortage of truly summer-like days in the course of the last three months.  Yesterday I picked two pounds of small to medium sized fruit, and made the following truly delicious soup.

 You will need:

• A large pan and a stick blender, or a liquidiser
• 1lb of tomatoes
• Golden oilseed rape oil
• 1 teaspoonful of tomato purée
• Half a medium onion, finely sliced or diced
• 1 or 2 garlic cloves
• Fresh garden herbs, or a small pinch of mixed dried herbs
• 1 vegetable stock cube
• 1 heaped teaspoonful of either arrowroot, potato starch or cornflour
• 1 large tablespoonful of mascarpone cheese

How to make it:

Only you can decide whether to go to the faff of skinning the tomatoes before you add them to the pan.  If the answer is yes, use a serrated edged knife to mark a cross on each tomato then put them in a Pyrex bowl, cover the fruit with boiling water and put the bowl in the microwave for 2 or 3 minutes.  Remove from microwave, use a slotted spoon to take each tomato out and skin it before repeating with the next fruit, and so on.  Cut the tomatoes into chunks and set to one side.

In a medium to large heavy based saucepan, place the oil over a low heat, with a tiny bit of butter for decadence. Next add the sliced onions and crushed garlic and stir frequently to make sure all the onions are softened but not catching on the base of the pan.  Now stir in the tomato purée, continuing to stir until it is well distributed and combined.  Once this is done, add the tomatoes.  Stir occasionally whilst they cook, and once they are becoming mushy add a litre of vegetable stock with a pinch of mixed herbs and cook for a few more minutes.  Whilst the pot is gently simmering, put the arrowroot/cornflour/potato starch in a mixing jug and a wine glass of cold water to slake it.  When it is well mixed and without lumps, take a ladleful of the soup mixture and add that to the jug, stir together well then empty the jug into the pan. Cook for one or two minutes longer, then turn off the heat and blend the mix until it is smooth, then add the mascarpone and blend again.  If you are using fresh, chopped herbs, add them now. 

When reheating to serve, take care not to boil the soup as it can spoil the look. 

Et bon appetit!