summer meets fall

The days are getting shorter, the nights are getting cooler — but the farmers' market stalls are still bursting with those exuberant summer vegetables! There is no time to waste. Soon the fall vegetables will take over and the super-sweet corn, the vibrant tomatoes, the shiny eggplants, the colorful peppers and the meaty beans will be only a memory… To me late summer/early fall is the most exciting time of the year, a time when there are not enough hours in the day to work on all the recipes I want to create; a time to still enjoy eating dinner outdoors, even if it means putting on a light sweater; and a time to enjoy the rich flavors of the harvest season.

This month's recipe takes all these seasonal issues into consideration. In September, the tomatoes are as sweet as can be and are practically falling off their vines! Prepared in this rustic, warm, Tuscan soup they become sublime. A perfect recipe to enjoy on a chilly night while greedily taking in the last luscious flavors of summer.

For another recipe using summer vegetables, click on this video and watch Viviane demo a flatbread pizza with fresh corn, sundried tomatoes and smoked mozzarella.
Tuscan Tomato Soup with Garlic Crostini and Parmesan
serves 6


For the soup
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 large garlic cloves — skinned and finely chopped
1 small bunch basil (about 3 oz) — leaves removed from stems and torn in 1" pieces
3 lbs very ripe tomatoes - peeled, seeded and chopped in 1/2" pieces (seeds strained and juices reserved, about 3/4 cup)
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth in cartons (Pacific Organic)
1 cup spring water
1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
freshly ground pepper to taste
1—15 oz can cannellini beans — drained
1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar (preferably 20 to 25 years old)

For the crostini
6—1/2" slices of sourdough baguette
1 large garlic clove — skinned and left whole
sea salt to taste
extra virgin olive oil as garnish
freshly grated Reggiano or Grana Padano parmesan as garnish

Step 1: Heat a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot at high heat. Add the olive oil, garlic and basil and sauté 1 minute only (the garlic must not brown or it will be bitter). Add the tomato pieces and sauté for an additional 3 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add the broth, reserved tomato juice, water, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the beans, stir well, cover the pot and continue to simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed and add the vinegar. Stir well and remove from heat.

Step 2: Toast the bread in a toaster or under the broiler until golden. Rub both sides with the garlic clove and sprinkle with salt to taste. Ladle the soup in bowl. Place a crostini in the center of each bowl. Drizzle with the extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle with parmesan and serve immediately.

© 2007 viviane bauquet farre — food & style NY LLC

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