This spring my family and I planted fifty tomato plants. We enjoyed many colors and varietals throughout the season that were canned, frozen, stored and eaten straight from the garden. We enjoyed working and playing together as co-participants in the entire cycle--from seed to harvest.
Most of all we enjoyed gathering up baskets of garden fresh vegetables and flowers to bring to neighbors, and jars of still warm tomato soup. Packets of flower seeds we gathered will soon follow!
Upon harvesting each and every tomato from the garden we enjoyed a beautiful warm soup as a tribute to all of the love, hard work, and care that each one of us poured into making the garden grow this year.
My husband, a wonderful cook and sweet gentle teacher in the kitchen, enjoys imparting the lessons of heart and home with the children by his side. Today's menu called for garden fresh tomato soup!
Fresh, still warm garlic bread paired with a golden colored soup warmed our bellies and our memories of this precious time together!
Each child gathered baskets of tomatoes back to the house where they then washed them and set them back in the sun to dry, next gathering up what they saw as the most beautiful and delicious tomato specimins that would go into today's soup!
Mama of course enjoyed a bit of 'garden art' creating and photographing rainbows of gorgeous homegrown veggies and sunflowers what a colorful palette to behold!
Growing and storing your own foods, sharing this rich process from start to finish with your littles, enjoying a wholesome home cooked meal from these processes and sharing this bounty with those that live around you is an incredible gift!
.: Gardenmama's Tomato Soup :.
Twelve freshly picked tomatoes
Two cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup chopped celery
Handfull of fresh basil
1/2 cup chopped onion
Combine tomatoes and broth; stew for thirty minutes on low heat.
Strain into a bowl, removing the seeds and skins. Return to pot.
Stir in 2 tbsp. flour.
add celery, basil and onion.
Cook over very low heat until mixture has thickened to desired consistency.
Stir in one cup of milk during the last ten minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Process in the blender for a smooth soup before serving.
Note: We used more yellow tomatoes than red for a milder soup. (I have a difficult time digesting red tomatoes) The yellow tomatoes also created a golden-colored soup that was lovely! We also added a bit of shredded cheese before serving!
.: Enjoy!! :.
.: I am in the process of making some changes to this space. It will be an on-going process! Today I made the photos larger! Tell me what you think! :.
