Although many of us in the north are getting ready to plant our tomato seedlings for a late summer harvest, thankfully local hot houses can keep us in tomatoes all year long. When selecting tomatoes, make sure they are plump, heavy and don’t have any wrinkles or soft spots. Store them at room temperature away from other fruits, removing any that start to get overly ripe as they emit ethylene gas which will cause the rest of the tomatoes to ripen more quickly.

Curried Tomato Soup
(vegan/gluten-free)
Makes 1 1/2 Quarts

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds roma tomatoes, quartered
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and roughly cut into 2″ pieces
6 garlic, cloves
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, ground
2  teaspoon thyme leaves, fresh
1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cups almond milk, unsweetened
1 lemon, juiced
fresh thyme sprigs for garnish

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Brush two 12″X14″ baking dishes with extra virgin olive oil. Place the potatoes in one pan and the tomatoes in the other. Add the garlic to one of the baking dishes. Brush all with extra virgin olive oil, sprinkle evenly with sea salt, black pepper, thyme and curry, then toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes, stir and flip veggies, then continue roasting for another 20 minutes until the potatoes and garlic are tender. When cool to the touch, add the contents of the baking dishes including any liquid to a blender with the vegetable stock and blend until smooth. This step may require two batches. Then, transfer to a large stock pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Next, add the almond milk and the lemon juice and return to light simmer. Ladle into bowls and garnish with a sprig of thyme.

Notes:
The roasted potatoes and tomatoes make a fragrant and delicious side dish. The roasting pans can be deglazed with the vegetable stock and a spatula to ensure you get maximum flavor. And, a swirl of pesto on top of the soup instead of the thyme leaves makes a nice garnish too.