Recipe: Summer Tomato and Dill Soup
http://nonabrooklyn.com/in-season-summer-in-a-bowl-tomato-and-dill-soup-from-nicole-chazar-of-sea-bean-goods/
Ingredients (makes 6 servings)
	•	4 lbs fresh tomato (any variety – beefsteaks are in season throughout summer and are a great option)
	•	1.5 cups scallion, chopped
	•	3 cloves garlic, chopped
	•	2 tablespoons olive oil
	•	2 teaspoons salt (sea salt or kosher salt)
	•	½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
	•	2 cups stock (vegetable, chicken, or water)
	•	½ cup basil leaves, loosely packed – chopped
	•	½ cup dill, tough stems removed, loosely packed – chopped
Procedure
	•	Blanch tomatoes: score bottom, submerge in simmering water for 5 minutes, transfer to ice water.
	•	Remove tomatoes from ice water and puree using a food mill. If you do not have access to a food mill, peel and core the tomatoes and chop into 1-inch chunks.
	•	Pour olive oil into a heavy-bottom pot and sweat scallion and garlic over medium heat for 15 minutes until very tender and caramelized.
	•	Stir in tomatoes and cook on medium-high heat for 15 minutes. Add stock if necessary to prevent the mixture from becoming too thick. The soup will bubble and darken to a deeper ruby color as it cooks.
	•	Season with salt and pepper, add basil and dill and puree with immersion blender (or puree in a standard blender in batches).
	•	Add stock to achieve desired consistency and adjust seasoning to taste.
	•	Serve chilled or warmed. Finish with a drizzle of good-quality olive oil or a dollop of crème fraiche.
Tips
	•	Don’t worry about chopping herbs or tomatoes perfectly, since the final soup will be pureed.
	•	Save your herb stems for stock! If you don’t have stock on hand for this recipe you can simmer the stems in 2.5 cups of water with a sprinkle of peppercorns and a bay leaf while your tomatoes are blanching. It only takes about 15 minutes and the herbal oils released in this short-cut stock will produce a more flavorful soup.
	•	If using a standard blender to puree the hot soup, vent the lid. A tight lid creates a buildup of steam pressure that is likely to explode when the motor kicks in. Simply place a towel over the vented lid to prevent your kitchen from looking like a crime scene.