ODE TO LES TOMATES

The last 2 months here at Chateau Perroterie are the busiest of the year, hence no weekly Blog! August was an exceptional period with a heat wave not only here in SW France but in Northern Spain, in fact we were on a red alert for 3 days, which basically means the heat is a potential killer. Anyway as I am writing this Blog there is a beautiful warm breeze with a very agreeable 29 degrees & not a cloud in the sky, all change tomorrow I believe, ah how we all love to ramble on about the weather.

Tomato & cream soup with parmesan toast

Delicious starter

This time of year is not only the start of the grape picking period but also the height of the tomato harvest, & I am inundated with all shapes & sizes of tomatoes. Marmande a town about 20 minutes from here is the tomato capital of France. So as I stand & admire the kilos of this beautiful fruit ( yes tomatoes are not a vegetable) on my garden table, the smell is of sunshine & the taste well its indescribable, let's just say summer in a bowl, or plate or glass. There is no end to the things you can do with these gorgeous red jewels. My favourites are a Tomato & basil soup with a grating of parmesan cheese, or a swirl of cream or both, the colour is so vibrant & not a drop of tomato purée needed to enrich the colour. The alternative is icy cold gazpacho, sit a little dish in the middle of a plate of melon & jambon sec, very decadent. I always make a tomato passata which is stored in sterilized jars, & on a cold winter,s day it adds a touch of summer to any tomato sauce. I usually add a touch of chilli & basil for extra warmth, great in curries, & chicken dishes too. My basic recipe is to a kilo of washed tomatoes which have been quartered, add to a pan which you have already sautéed an onion & 2 garlic in olive oil, add a tablespoon of sugar, bring to a gentle boil then reduce to a simmer, a good dash of balsamic vinegar, lid on, then cook for 30 minutes. Whizz in a processor or liquidizer till smooth. For a smoother texture strain through a sieve, then either pour into sterilized jars or freeze in freezer bags. If you are thinking of freezing in a plastic container, a good tip, is to brush the sides of the container with oil & this stops the tomatoes staining the plastic. This will keep well either way for months, although in my house not so long!