August 30th, 2008 Newsletter
Bardstown Road Farmers’ Market, Inc Newsletter
Sarah’s Corner
From our friend Sarah Fritschner
Supermarket shoppers can’t really gauge garlic season because there are bins of bulbs in produce sections all year. But farmers market shoppers know exactly when it is.
And it is now. You’ll find garlic at the Bardstown Road market that is firm, aromatic and ready to cook.
The freshest garlic will be hard and the cloves will be plump. If the garlic is sprouting or shriveled – which shouldn’t be a problem at the farmers market – avoid it. It’s already on its decline, and you won’t get a pow of garlic flavor. However, if you happen to have garlic that’s sprouted or shriveled, you can use it. It won’t hurt you.
Keep fresh garlic in a cool, dark place but don’t refrigerate it. Want to keep garlic a long time? You can stick it in the freezer, whole, or in cloves, peeled or not. When I worked as food editor for the Courier-Journal, I would often get calls about how to keep fresh garlic longer. Remember, garlic is alive and has no preservatives, so you can’t keep it on the shelf forever. Freezing it at its peak is a great option.
To roast garlic, bake a whole bulb at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or so. It should be soft when you squeeze it. Cutting off the top to expose the cloves, and drizzling it with olive oil, will allow the garlic to brown, adding a different flavor. It also allows you to squeeze out the soft garlic a little easier. Remember a toaster oven will save energy. Or roast garlic while you have the oven heated for other reasons. Don’t worry if the oven is set at 375 or 400; it’ll just take a little less time to soften.
Tomato soup with roast garlic croutons
This recipe looks long, but it’s pretty easy. You’re making croutons by cutting up bread and toasting it (which you can do ahead). You’re making soup by peeling fresh tomatoes, cooking them with onion and garlic and blending it in a blender. If it’s too much trouble to peel tomatoes, use canned.
But now is a good time to ask farmers if they have any “processing” or “canning” tomatoes – tomatoes they sell at a discount that will spoil quickly because of a crack, or that don’t look perfect. They’ll make great soup.
Use any kind of bread you have for croutons – whole wheat, white sandwich slices, the last of the hot dog buns, the end of the baguette . . .
Croutons:
1 whole head garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 slices bread cut into cubes, or about 3 cups
Soup:
4 pounds fresh tomatoes, cored
1/3 cup olive oil , plus additional for serving
1 medium onion , minced
3 cloves garlic , minced
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper , plus extra for seasoning
To make the croutons: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Slice off top of garlic head so the cloves are just exposed. Rub with a touch of olive oil and turn upside down on a pie plate or other pan. Roast 45 minutes or until the cloves are soft. Remove from oven (but leave oven on); let garlic cool until comfortable to touch. Squeeze cloves from the heads into a small bowl; mash with a fork; set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine roasted garlic with olive oil, salt and pepper. Add bread and toss until well coated. Place bread on a baking sheet and bake 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
To make soup, bring a small pan of water to a boil. Dip tomatoes in the water a few at a time, letting them cook about 15 seconds. Remove to a clean kitchen towel and repeat with remaining tomatoes.
Heat olive oil in a wide, deep pot over medium heat. Chop onion and add it to the pan. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mince garlic and add it to the pot. Cook 5 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper. Core and peel the tomatoes (the peels should slip right off) and add them to the pot as you do (you may want to cut them in 2 or 3 pieces as you add them to the pot). Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Put 2 or 3 cups of tomatoes in your blender and blend until smooth. Blend the soup in batches, then reheat it. To serve, top with croutons. Serves 6.
