Since our CSA farmer grows tomatoes in greenhouses, we are lucky to have a much longer tomato season than would naturally occur in Minnesota.  However, I am not terribly creative when it comes to tomatoes.  I have a couple of pasta recipes that incorporate fresh tomatoes, or I take a tomato to work and slice it up to eat as a mid-morning snack.  If I'm feeling really ambitious, I'll make some fresh salsa to use in tacos.

But this week, I tried something new and used our tomatoes to make a cold tomato soup.  This is a very easy recipe that would definitely come in handy if you have a bunch of overly-ripe tomatoes.  I used one Brandywine heirloom tomato in the soup, which gave it a nice depth of flavor, and the soup paired nicely with cheesy garlic toast.

Adapted from the Real Simple recipe by Dawn Perry

Ingredients:

 

• 4 medium tomatoes (about 2 pounds), coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Place tomatoes, onion, and garlic in blender and puree until smooth.*  Add the vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper and puree for an additional 10 seconds to combine.

*I recommend placing the tomatoes in the blender first, followed by the onion and garlic.  When I put the onion in first, the blender's blade got stuck.