Cold Tomato Soup & Onion Soup

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Anna Welander for passing this along:

A new medical study says that meat can almost be as bad for you as
smoking. You know what's really bad? Second-hand meat. -- Jay Leno

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            TODAY'S RECIPES
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I have published dozens of tomato soup recipes over the years,
both hot and cold, but I have never published a cold tomato soup
recipe from Italy. Until now.

Cold Tomato Soup (Zuppa di Pomodoro Fredda)

3 Tbs (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish
1/2 onion, chopped
2 lbs (900 g) ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1-2 cups (250-500 ml) chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and diced
About 4 oz (110 g) goat cheese

Heat the oil in a pot over moderate heat and saute the onion until
tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and
season with salt and pepper. Saute for 5 minutes, then lower the
heat, add the stock, and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Puree
the soup in an electric blender or food processor and set aside to
cool. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Garnish with the cucumber
and a dollop of goat cheese immediately before serving. Serves 4 to 6.

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Similar to the famous French onion soup, the Italian version
uses olive oil instead of butter, a light meat stock rather than
the classic French beef stock, and pecorino cheese instead
of gruyere. Other than those things, they're almost identical.

Onion Soup (Zuppa di Cipolle)

3 Tbs (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2 lbs (900 g) onions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup (125 ml) dry white wine
2 cups (500 ml) beef or chicken stock, or mixture of the two
2 cups (500 ml) water
4-6 thick slices crusty Italian-style bread, toasted
Pecorino cheese for garnish

Heat the oil in a pot over moderate heat and add the onions, salt, and
pepper. Saute until the onions begin to brown, about 10 minutes, then
lower the heat and continue cooking until the onions are lightly
browned, about 30 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half,
about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the stock and water, and
bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes. To
serve, place a slice of toasted bread in each bowl, ladle the soup over
the bread, and use a vegetable peeler to garnish with shavings of the
pecorino cheese. Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Tue Jan 16 06:45:03 2007