Heirloom Tomato Soup With Arbequina Olives And Shaved Fennel Food

TOMATO AND FENNEL SOUP

Steps:

• In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the fennel and cook, stirring, until it starts to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the celery, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes longer to allow the flavors to blend together. Carefully add the Pernod. (Caution! It could flame up.) Add the dill, celery seeds, and pepper. Add the vegetable stock and tomatoes, and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let simmer for 40 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat. Process the soup, in batches, in a blender or food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade until smooth. Add the butter, if desired, and stir until melted. Taste and check the seasoning, adding salt if needed.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO SOUP WITH ARBEQUINA OLIVES AND SHAVED FENNEL

Steps:

• To make the soup: In a high-speed blender, combine the tomatoes, chile, cucumber, and vinegar and process until smooth. Pass the purée through a fine-mesh sieve and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Ladle one-fourth of the soup into each bowl. Garnish with the fennel, olives, and tomato. Drizzle the olive brine, vinegar, and olive oil around the soup. Sprinkle with the fennel sprouts.

TOMATO-FENNEL SOUP WITH BRIE TOASTS

Steps:

• Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add fennel, onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low. Partly cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in garlic and chile powder; cook 1 minute. Stir in Pernod and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes.
• Pour in tomatoes, 1 1/2 cups water and the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook gently, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Season with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the black pepper. Purée soup in batches using a blender or immersion blender until smooth.
• Transfer soup back to pot over medium heat; simmer until slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes more. Scrape down sides and bottom of pot occasionally. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread bread slices on a large baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 10 minutes.
• Toast fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly colored, 2 to 3 minutes. Melt in remaining 1 tablespoon butter.
• Adjust oven temperature to broil and position rack 6 inches from heat. Brush toasts with fennel-seed butter and top with Brie. Return to oven and broil until bubbly and golden, 1 to 3 minutes (check every minute or so to see that they are not burning). Ladle soup into bowls and top with a cheese crouton. Garnish with fennel fronds.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO SOUP

Steps:

• In a stockpot, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes, carrot, corn, basil and salt., Stir in broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tomatoes are softened, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly., In a food processor, process soup in batches until smooth. Return all to pan and heat through. Ladle into bowls; drizzle each serving with 3/4 teaspoon cream.