From GREG ATKINSON

This soup is so redolent with tomato flavor that you will wonder what the canned version has to do with tomatoes at all. It’s best made with the oversized deep red tomatoes that come in at the end of summer. To set it off properly, a dollop of bright green pesto or a crumble of fresh white goat cheese is just the ticket.

Makes about 4 servings

½ cup organic olive oil
1 large organic onion peeled and thinly sliced
6 large organic heirloom tomatoes (about 3 pounds), cut into thin wedges
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pesto, crumbled fresh chèvre, or olive oil, for garnish (optional)

1. Put the olive oil and onions in in a heavy soup pot over medium-high heat and cook stirring regularly with a wooden spatula or spoon, until the onions are soft and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes

2. Add the tomatoes, cover the pan, and when the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the tomatoes are very tender and beginning to disintegrate, about 10 minutes.

3. Purée the soup with an immersion blender or, if no immersion blender is available, transfer the soup in small batches to a standard blender. (Put the lid on the blender, then drape a dish towel over the lid, and to prevent the hot soup from splashing out, hold the lid down with the dish towel while the motor is running.)

4. You might wish to strain the soup to remove the seeds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the soup hot with a dollop of pesto, a crumble of fresh chèvre, or a drizzle of olive oil.
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From GENE LOGSDON

I have a hunch that readers thought I was joking when I wrote recently about growing tree seedlings in roof gutters. The picture above proves that it works. I thought by now (late summer) the seedlings would have died for lack of water, but we’ve had regular rain so now I can transplant some of those seedlings this fall if not next spring. I can just lift the plants out of the gutter and plop them, roots and leaf mold intact, in a hole in the ground. Ever since a reader, Ohiofarmgirl, called a broadcast seeder “one of those hand-cranked thingies” on her website, I have been thinking of putting together a catalog of farming and gardening  oddities with similar descriptions: sections of roof spouting I would label as “roof whatchamacallits for starting plants.”

There are weeds growing amid the tree seedlings up there in the gutter too, as you might notice. The trees are mostly maple, ash and elm seedlings which gives me an excuse to go into one of my favorite rants. The experts all tell me that I can kiss white ash trees goodbye because the emerald ash borer is killing them. Yes, the old ashes are all dying, but my woodlot is full of seedlings, just coming up wherever sufficient sunlight penetrates the tree canopy or, as you can see, on the barn roof. I argue that when the ash borer has killed off the older trees, it will run out of food and die off too, before these seedlings get old enough for them to kill. A whole new generation of ash trees will come along. Ash trees start producing seed when they are mere saplings.

That is what happened to the elm. Lots of new young seedling elms are growing all over our woodlot. They get old enough to produce seed before they are struck down like their parents. If we can just keep out of the woods those experts who want to kill all the endangered trees to stop the spread of a disease or predator, the ash will survive.

There are also wild cherry and cottonwood seedlings in the roof gutter, which at first surprised me since neither of these trees grows close enough to the barn to drop seeds on the roof. The cherry seedlings, I assume, got there because birds ate the fruit and then pooped on the roof.  Cottonwood seeds, as the name implies, are carried along in the wind because of the cottony growth around the seeds, so they can float a considerable distance before coming to rest on earth. Our big cottonwood is at least a thousand feet from the barn. more

From THE ORGANIC CENTER
Adapted

I started (slowly at first) eating a gluten-free diet about five years ago.  I noticed that I was having trouble digesting wheat and would get a rash along my jaw line each time I ate it, particularly if it was a white flour roll straight from the bread basket of some Italian restaurant.  You know the type!

In the meantime I have tried countless gluten free crackers, pastas and baking/flour blends.  Some are great.  Some, frankly, aren’t.

The Gluten-Free Bistro is in that “great” category.  And it’s because the three ladies eat the foods themselves.  In an interview recently published in Boulder’s The Daily Camera, co-founder Julie McGinnis said of other gluten free products, “Texture was lacking, taste was lacking, nutrition was lacking and I really got sick of buying products and throwing them in the garbage.”  Julie started GF Bistro with friends Kelly McCallister and Barb Verson who since have found great success selling their products (pizza crust in particular) to a growing list of restaurants.

Well, I too hate seeing food go to waste which is why this week’s recipe, pairing overly ripe bananas with the Gluten Free Bistro flour blend, is perfect… more

From JEFF COX

When summer corn is at its freshest and sweetest best, thrill people with this tasty corn dish to serve on the side. The flavors in this dish have a synergy that will surprise you—it’s greater than the sum of its parts. The medley of colors makes for a pretty presentation, too, served at the table.

5 ears very fresh organic corn, husked and desilked
2 medium organic leeks, white and light green parts only
3 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch squares
1 tablespoon unsalted organic butter
½ jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 cups organic chicken broth
1 large organic potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
1½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
4 tablespoons heavy organic cream
Salt to taste
3 spears chives, finely chopped

1. Cut the kernels from the corn and transfer to a large bowl. Slice the leeks into very thin rounds.

2. Place a Dutch oven or large saucepan over medium heat and add bacon. Fry until crisp, then transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan.

3. Place the pan back over medium heat and add the butter. When melted, add the leeks, jalapeño, and several grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until the leeks are soft.

4. Add the chicken broth, corn, potato, and thyme and increase the heat to high. When the mixture reaches a boil, reduce to a simmer and stir, simmering about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.

5. Transfer 1 cup of the stew to a blender and puree until smooth. Return the puree to the pan. Add the cream and stir to mix well. Add salt. Sprinkle the chives and bacon over the surface of the stew. Remove from heat and serve while hot.

Makes 4 to 6 servings
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Image Credit: © Fei Yang | Dreamstime.com
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From JESSE COOL

Indian Summer

At summer’s end, when the memory of vacation fades, the routines of school and work urge me back to my kitchen. The days of casual summer dining subside, and the meaningfulness of being surrounded by family and friends for a leisurely meal returns.

Indian summer is a time of large platters overloaded with the bounty of just-picked goodness. It is a time to celebrate the harvest with family and friends and speak of fond memories of summer. It is also time to honor and cherish the last summer crops, such as tomatoes and raspberries. I also give open-arm welcomes to baby acorn squash, broccoli, kale, chard, and other early fall crop arrivals All earn prominent places on my dining room table.

Aware of the juxtaposition of seasons that Indian summer represents, conserving for the cold months ahead becomes a priority for me both at home and at my restaurants. My two food dryers are working nearly every night, the racks filled with tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, figs, and even berries. At the same time, herbs hang in bunches above my kitchen cabinets. Green tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, baby onions, and even Brussels sprouts are saved in jars filled with herbal or chile-infused vinegar.

Indian summer represents a season of preparation for the colder months to come. As the sweetness of summer disappears, I feel satisfied in knowing that I have created a kitchen ready for winter.
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The toasty flavor of the buckwheat stands up beautifully to the rustic combination of the pork and pumpkin. more