Recipe: Cold Tomato Soup with Rosemary (blender)

COLD TOMATO SOUP WITH ROSEMARY

"Good tomatoes are bursting with potential. The difference between consuming a tomato out of hand and slicing it, then sprinkling it with a pinch of salt and a few drops of olive oil, is the difference between a snack and a dish. And the great thing about tomatoes is that it takes so little to convert them from one to the other.

In this instance--though not always--peeling and seeding the tomatoes is worth the effort. To do so, bring a pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut a small X on the smooth (flower) end of each tomato. Drop them into the boiling water. In about thirty seconds, you'll see the skin begin to loosen. Immediately remove from the boiling water and plunge into a bowl of ice water. When they're cool, peel, then cut them in half through their equator. Squeeze and shake out the seeds. (For best flavor, do this over a strainer and recombine the reserved juices with the pulp.)

Use fresh thyme (1 teaspoon), dill (1 tablespoon), basil (1/4 cup), parsley (1/4 cup), chervil (1 tablespoon), chives (1/4 cup), or a mixture of herbs to make this even better; garnish with fresh herbs, too, if you like."

2 slices good-quality stale white bread, crusts removed
3 pounds ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves
1 small garlic clove, peeled
1 cup chicken stock or ice cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Juice of 1 lemon

1. Soak the bread in cold water briefly; squeeze dry and combine in a blender with the tomatoes, rosemary, and garlic (you may have to do this in 2 batches). Add the ice cubes if using them. Turn on the machine and drizzle in the stock. Turn off the machine and pour the mixture into a bowl.

2. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then add lemon juice to taste. Chill and serve.

Makes 4 servings
Excerpted from Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes from the New York Times by Mark Bittman
Copyright 2007 by Mark Bittman. Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.