Ten Minute Tomato Soup

Last night I was invited to a cocktail reception by ES blogger LC. We originally met through the non-food part of our lives, and after a few minutes of polite womens’ issues chatter, we quickly started discussing our favorite DC restaurants. I always find food to be a fantastic cocktail party back-up topic (much more delicious than the weather.) Who doesn’t want to share a story of an exotic meal or a kitchen success?

At the after-work function we attended the food was scarce and uninspired. Green mush posing as guacamole sat atop a sweet pastry and rice krispie treat type pellets coated tough shrimp on a stick. Two cocktails in and only a few bites of food left me hungry as I arrived home close to 9pm. And 9pm is that weird time when I do consider holding out until tomorrow. But 80P told me to eat a little something so I poked around the kitchen. I’d been away for a few days and wasn’t sure what held up in my absence. Unfortunately a tomato I bought from my travels had slit on the way home; I knew I had to find a way to use that stat.

I also instinctively took out an egg and butter. But what? I’ve done plenty of scrambles featuring chopped tomato. I’ve also laid a fried egg on top of sliced tomato.

While still figuring out the dish, I sliced the tomato and then cut each slice into quarters, threw them in a pan with butter and sprinkled with salt and pepper. The tomatoes produced plenty of juice, which turned me off from an omelet idea: I’m not a fan of a runny, tomato stained omelet.

How else could I incorporate an egg? Wait, wait a fucking second. Maybe I don’t HAVE TO USE AN EGG. It is crazy. It is insane. Who the hell am I? This is the second non-egg usage in two weeks!

I put the egg away and found out how crazy-quick I could turn one tomato into a late-night, single serve chunky, zesty soup.

Ten Minute Tomato Soup

So I already told you that I sliced one tomato and then cut each slice into quarters, threw them in a pan with not even a pat of butter and sprinkled with salt and pepper. Next I (and I really, really hate this, but didn’t feel like chopping) shoved one garlic clove through a press. And you know that part of the garlic that stays in the press and is all thin and weird looking, I threw that in too. I sprinkled in some (3/4 of a tablespoon?) herbs de provence. Let it cook a bit more and then added in a 2-3 second pour of an old red wine sitting on my counter. I stirred that in, let it all come together, added a tiny bit more salt and pepper and then that’s it.

No blending or milling or processing or waiting.

I served it with about to go bad, warmed up in the oven, weird Ethiopian bread, which I will have to tell you about later.