Beginnings and endings

When first thinking about a name for this blog, I had many suggestions from my friends.  But, the phrase that kept repeating itself over and over in my head was "What did you eat?"  Invariably, that is THE question asked by my relatives when we talk to each other, no matter what the occasion.  And then we begin reminiscing, and at times, arguing about past meals and discussing the correct way to prepare certain recipes.  They are good cooks, and have strong opinions about food.  So, it's no wonder that I'm obsessed with food. It's an emotionally laden part of my life, to say the least!

Last week, I cleared out my tomato plants. The end of tomato season is always a sad thing for me.  No more tomato sandwiches until next spring!   It was a rough year for my vegetable garden here in the Central Valley of California. We experienced  a blistering summer, and the plants were worn out. However, I picked four pounds of small, banged up fruits. They wouldn't win a prize at the county fair, but they tasted wonderful and were perfect for a recipe from Williams Sonoma called Roasted Tomato Soup, With Rice And Tiny Meatballs.  Click on recipes at the Williams-Sonoma site here. 

The recipe called for four pounds of tomatoes and that was almost exactly what I picked.  But, my tomatoes produced slightly less juice than the recipe required. So, I'll use a few more tomatoes the next time I make it.

The tomatoes roasted in a pan along with a large sweet onion, fresh rosemary sprigs and olive oil.  Can you see how wonderful it smelled?

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The meatball mixture: Ground turkey, parmesan, wonderful fresh ciabatta bread crumbs, sage, pepper, salt, parsley, and an egg.  The ciabatta bread crumbs gave the meatballs a great taste and texture

After the tomatoes had roasted, I ran them through a food mill. Of course, that meant finding the food mill.  My last sighting of it occurred over two years ago, when I "reorganized" my kitchen.  After much searching and cursing, I finally discovered it nestled against an earthenware sauerkraut crock in the back of a cabinet. This particular cabinet, a sort of black hole, is where I store rarely used implements that must never be thrown away.  I mean, who knows when I might want to make sauerkraut?  I should add that a food mill isn't absolutely necessary for this dish. You could blitz it in the food processor and sieve it. But, I felt this was a moment for my neglected little food mill to shine.  It can go back to the cabinet and tell all the other rarely used tools what it's like to be in a starring role.

I slipped my tiny meatballs into the broth, which also had some chicken stock added to it, and simmered the soup for about five minutes.

The recipe called for stirring cooked rice into the soup. However, I added my rice at the bottom of the bowl and ladled soup over it.  The last touch was a sprinkle of finely chopped parsley, orange peel, and garlic. Very nice--this soup tasted like the beginning of summer, not the end.

Comments

[Helene]

I love this blog! Who are you and what else do you have hidden in the recesses of that 'black hole' cabinet? And are you sure you're not talking about the cabinet in my kitchen!!

Helene

[AFellowKingHallClassmate]

Sheri this is FABULOUS. I think we might have the same family.

[Char]

WOW!! As friends at WHS I always knew you were a creative genius, so this wonderful recipe comes as no surprise!!! I wonder if the tomatoes you grow are as tasty as the ones from the good old midwest?? Love the recipe, keep them coming!!

[lizz]

FABULOUS rendition of both the tale and the meal! Enjoyed the reading immensely; will try the recipe. (Sadly, no food mill exists in MY black hole of a cabinet, but I'm a whiz at blitzing things in the food processor - whether called for or not!) Keep the stories and recipes coming; I think you've got a future here, kid!

[Sher]

Thank you all for the support! It is greatly appreciated.

Helene, I think we should all peek into our black hole cabinets from time to time. Who knows what lurks there.

FellowClassmate, I think there are a lot of families like ours. Is that good or scary?

Char, I can't grow those marvelous beefsteak tomatoes like we did in Illinois. The heat out here in the Central Valley is too hard on them. Sniff.

Lizz, you now have that fabulous new designer kitchen, so you can whip up this recipe with no problems. But, hey----no pressure!!

Sher