We're in that weird time of year in the coastal counties of Southern California; a time called June Gloom. It's usually overcast and sometimes even foggy until noon or even later into the afternoon, when the sun finally comes out. But it's also the first part of summer when fresh tomatoes start to become available! And that means having my last hot soup of the year (at least until November when things cool down again. It's just a thing, don't ask). June is about the only time of year I can have this because it's a hot soup that needs fresh tomatoes, canned will just not do for this, and you cannot use store bought tomatoes for this. They need to be off someone's vine; hopefully yours or something from a local farmers market. And I'm all about people putting their own twists on things, I know I do it, but do not add any milk or cream to this - please. You want to taste those awesome fresh tomatoes while getting your vitamin A, vitamin C and that great phytochemical lycopene. Peel the tomatoes by placing in boiling water for about twenty seconds - the skins slip right off.
3 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup healthy margarine (like Smart Balance)
1 small chopped onion
1 peeled carrot, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup flour
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (fresh basil and tomatoes just go together)
4 cups chicken broth (yes, you can make a stock if you want but I don't have the time)
salt
pepper
In a 2 quart sauce pan saute the carrots, celery and onion for 5 to 7 minutes on medium heat. Stir in the stock, herbs, flour, bay leaf and tomatoes. Turn the heat down to simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes. Stir every ten minutes or so. Put into blender or food processor for about 30 seconds. Ladle out a nice big bowl and season with salt and pepper. Yum!
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