Tomato Bread Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds red plum tomatoes
• 1 14 ounce can tomatoes
• 4 ounces extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 onion, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 ounces crust-less, day-old sourdough bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (2 cups)
• Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Core the plum tomatoes and score an X on the bottom with a small knife. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Prepare an ice-water bath. Add plum tomatoes to boiling water and boil for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until the scored skin starts to peel away from the tomato. Transfer to the ice bath and let cool for 2 minutes. Peel skin from tomatoes.
2. Cut the tomatoes horizontally in half and squeeze the juice and seeds into a strainer, strain the seeds from the juice, save juice, discard seeds.
3. Place tomatoes in food processor and pulse to medium chop, set aside with the strained juice. Repeat with the canned tomatoes and add to fresh tomatoes, set aside.
4. Place oil, onion, and garlic into a 4 quart soup pot, season, and cook over medium heat until tender without coloring, about 12 to 15 minutes. Add all the tomatoes season and bring to a simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
5. While the soup is cooking, soak the bread in warm water for about 5 minutes. Remove from water and squeeze dry in a towel. Mash bread into to soup with a wire potato masher and cook an additional 15 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
6. Serve hot with basil ricotta or cold with basil purée and ricotta salata. Drizzle both with a high quality extra-virgin olive oil.

Makes 1 3/4 quarts

Basil Ricotta

Ingredients:

• 1 packed cup basil leaves (3.5 ounce bunch)
• 1 cup good ricotta, drained

Method:

1. Place leaves in food processor and pulse to rough chop. Add ricotta and blend until smooth, season.

Basil Purée

Ingredients:

• 1 medium bunch basil, leaves picked and washed 2.5 ounces
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt

Method:

1. Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Prepare an ice-water bath. Boil basil leaves for 20 seconds, drain, and plunge into ice water for 1 minute to stop cooking. Gather basil together with your hands, squeeze out liquid, put into a food processor with oil, and blend until finely puréed. Season.