Tomato Soup
To increase the depth of flavour in this soup be sure to really brown off the onions and garlic, use plum tomatoes, a good quality stock and above all fresh herbs! The sugar is added to soften the acidity of the tomatoes. I prefer brown sugar for it's darker, deeper flavour.

Oh yeah, don't forget to check the chef insight at the bottom of this page for a wacked out historical view of the tomato, its a little bizarre.

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 Tblsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 onions, sliced
2 Tblsp balsamic vinegar
5 Tblsp tomato puree
400g / 14oz plum tomatoes
450 ml / 3/4 pint chicken or vegetable stock
1 Tblsp brown sugar
1 bunch basil
Salt and pepper to taste
(4 tblsp fromage blanc optional garnish)

Mise-en-Place:
Chop garlic, slice onions, roughly dice tomatoes, add stock to hot water, reserve some basil tips for garnish

Method:
In a large saucepan over a medium/ high heat:
Heat the oil
Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned
Add the onion before the garlic colours too much and 'brown off'
Add the balsamic vinegar, stir in for 30 seconds
Add tomato puree cook 1-2 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent burning.
Add the fresh tomatoes, cook for 1-2 minutes to soften
Add remaining ingredients, simmer for 10 minutes
Blend all ingredients
Check seasoning
Serve

Adjust:
Adjust the flavours to suit your palate:
Too astringent: Add more sugar to mellow the flavours
Too bland: Add more stock, salt and pepper
Too thick: Add more stock or water
Too thin: To thicken either boil to reduce liquid volume or add more puree
Too lifeless: Add more basil

Presentation:
Garnish with a generous tablespoon of fromage blanc and basil tips. Serve with a slice of crusty bread

Cowboy Trick: Got to keep those costs low? Use canned, chopped tomato instead of plum tomatoes. Who's gonna know the difference after you blend the soup?

Chef Insight:
The tomato is a native of Peru and came to Europe via Spanish and Portuguese traders in the 16th century. In Southern America this vegetable was known as the 'tomatl' however when it reached Italy via Portugal the Italians named it the 'pomo dei mori' which literally means 'the apple of the moors'. The French misinterpreted 'pomo dei mori' due to its French-sounding phonetics to 'pomme d'amour' meaning 'apple of love'! Thus when the British began to import tomatoes they too picked up upon this error and of course being the social and religious prudes that they were feared to eat the tomato for fear or arousing unbridled passions. For these reasons most of the early British recipes using tomatoes insisted that it be cooked, it wasn't until the turn of the 20th century that raw tomatoes became popular as a salad ingredient.