Last weekend, I ventured out to a local institution called Baugher’s. Initially a 60 acre farm, now Baugher’s has morphed into a restaurant, market, and nursery. Because of all the chain stores and restaurants that have popped up in our area, this 100-year-old establishment is struggling.
I was there to buy a pie, which are also famous in these parts, and ended up with a bunch of very ripe, on-the-vine tomatoes. Since my tomato plants are only just now in flower, it will be many weeks before I’ll be able to eat my own.
The one’s from Baugher’s must have come up from Florida, and usually, I don’t take a risk with store-bought tomatoes, which generally have no taste. Not these. They packed tons of flavor, and I was glad I bought them. Since they were so ripe, I needed to do something with them quickly, so used up some other veggies I had on hand, and the result was this soup. Enjoy 🙂
Spring Vegetable Soup
serves 6-8
3 tb olive oil
2 cups chopped cauliflower
1 cup peas
1 cup chopped spinach
2 diced carrots
2 leeks, cleaned and chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 32 oz low sodium vegetable broth
1 cup sherry or other white wine
4 medium/large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
one tsp each of parsley, chervil, and thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in soup pot. Saute vegetables (except tomatoes) for two minutes. Add broth, sherry, tomatoes and herbs. Cook soup slowly, covered, over low-medium heat for about 1 hour. Stir from time to time and add additional broth/water if necessary. Add salt and pepper. Remove pot from heat and let soup sit for ten minutes before serving.
