Is this August or October?

The brief thunderstorm we had yesterday afternoon dropped the temperature into the 60’s, and I went in the house to put on a long-sleeved shirt. In August. Whoa. Suddenly I found myself smiling at the thought, because August has always been my least favorite month because of its inherent heat and humidity. But when I woke up this morning at 5:30, I put that long-sleeved shirt on again as I looked at my thermometer and it read 59 degrees. This is going to be a good hiking morning!

Where I have been eating tons of salads and grilled vegetables in every way imaginable, the cool weather has left me yearning for something heavier and “autumnal” if you will. I thought about all the tomatoes I just purchased at Pattenburg’s Tradition Farms, where owner/farmer Ken has some of the tastiest tomatoes and peaches around. (I strongly encourage you to visit his farm, which is only about 5 minutes off of Rt 78 on county road 614 in Pattenburg!) Tomato soup would be lovely, I thought. So today I will make a creamy batch of tomato soup, complete with fresh herbs from the garden. Although I have lots of cookbooks, some of them very used, I often find my self Googling recipes to find something new. Or I throw things together myself. I usually start with an organic vegetable juice or tomato juice for a stock, add my veggies and herbs, and will, at some point, use either my Vitamix or an immersion blender to puree part of the soup to give it a creamy texture without adding any cream. Sun-dried tomatoes will give it more depth as well. Experiment for yourself and take advantage of this wonderful October-in-August weather by putting on a pot of soup full of the season’s best. Your kitchen will smell wonderfully, and your belly will smile.

And while it’s cooking, go on out and take a hike!

peace,

Diane