There is nothing that brings me more pleasure than going to the farmer's market, getting some beautiful produce and turning them into something totally delicious... and totally simple.  Something about homemade makes everything taste better.  You taste what is put into it + the dedication of the person making it.  But most importantly: it is good for you.  Yes, there are times when we must grab a can of tomatoes or beans but whenever possible I like to go for the fresh stuff.  


Here is what I like about fresh food: what you get is what you see.  A radish is a radish and an apple is an apple.  It is honest and humble.  You eat it when ripped and it nourishes the body.  I was all about eating fast foods and whatever I could find and then I remember reading this quote:  

It stopped me on my tracks because it was simple but boy-- did it bring the point home.  Especially when you start reading about "pink stuff" in meats or food that does not melt even when put to the fire.  And so I made a conscious decision to eat more foods in the natural state and the farmer's market became my new favorite place to shop for food.


This past weekend the market was full of so much beautiful produce {yes, I find food beautiful} and my eyes immediately focused on tomatoes, peppers and herbs.  I am a person that eats with my eyes first and a ranbow of color produce always makes me smile.  So how did I decide on what to make?  I follow one rule of thumb: try to keep the produce as close to natural as possible.  In the end I settled for two recipes: a roasted peppers and tomato soup.  And also a tomatoes and green bean salad.  It does not get any fresher than that. 

I am also a huge fan of eating raw tomatoes which is why I made a tomatoes + green beans salad dressed up with nothing but olive oil, Maldon salt and pepper.  The trick was simply cut the tomatoes in half and let them marinate in olive oil an hour before I served them.  Then I added to them some blanched green beans and it was a delicious and healthy feast. 

Again, the whole point of these two recipes was to enjoy the freshness of the produce and let their own summer flavors shine. And that they did.  It was a perfect way to nourish my body throughout the weekend especially in this heat when heavy foods just do not sit well in my stomach.  Both dishes were light and summer perfect.  I hope you have gotten to enjoy the bountiful of fresh produce that summer had to offer.  Have a wonderful day!

 



 

 

4 lbs. tomatoes, chopped into quarters (do not seed them)

1-2 red or yellow peppers, seeded and chopped into quarters

1 bulb of garlic

1 1/2 cups of vegetable broth

olive oil
Herbes de Provence olive oil (optional)

salt & pepper to taste

a handful of fresh basil

 

 

Steps

 

1.  Preheat oven to 400F. 

 

2.  In a bowl combine tomatoes (including any juices you gathered while chopping) and peppers, then add enough olive oil to coat them, and salt & pepper to taste.  Toss and spread on a baking sheet. 

 

3.  Take the garlic bulb and cut in half.  Drizzle with olive oil and wrap in foil.  Put the foil packet in the same baking sheet as the tomatoes.  And roast for the same amount of time.

 

3.  Roast for 30-35 minutes.  Once everything is roasted, let it cool a bit.  Transfer the tomatoes and peppers to a blender.  Add 4-5 leaves of basil and squeeze the soften garlic out of the garlic casing and into the blender.  Give it a quick pulse to combine together.  Add the vegetable broth (add water if you want the soup thinner) and blend away until the soup is smooth and silky.   Taste to make sure the flavors and seasoning are good, and adjust as necessary. 

 

4.  Once done, serve, granish with chiffonade basil leaves and croutons (I used ezequiel bread croutons), drizzle a little of the herbs de provence oil and enjoy.  It is that simple!

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