Smoked Tomato Soup

Adapted from Saveur
Wood chips for indoor smoker (such as [more assertive] mesquite or hickory or [milder] alder or apple)
3 pounds tomatoes [Roma or standard beefsteak], halved or quartered (depending on size)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups chicken stock
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup basil leaves
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
chopped chives (for garnish)

Place 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of wood chips in a small pile at the bottom of the smoker.  Place tray and rack on top of wood chips.  Arrange tomatoes, cut side up, and slide on the lid.  Place the smoker on a stovetop burner over medium heat.  When smoke appears, let the tomatoes smoke for 7 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let sit covered for 5-10 minutes (depending on the amount of smokiness desired).  Remove the tomatoes from the smoker and place in a bowl.  Remove the skins from the tomatoes.  You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your smoker.  Discard the old wood chips and replace with fresh wood chips and repeat.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 5-6 minutes.  Add the wine and bring to a boil.  Cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 5-6 minutes.  Add the tomatoes, stock, and salt and pepper.  Return to a boil, then simmer until the tomatoes break down and soup is slightly thickened, about 45-50 minutes.  Stir in the basil and vinegar.  Puree the soup in  a blender until smooth.  Ladle into individual bowls.  Garnish with chopped chives (and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil if you like).

Note: You can use a stovetop smoker like this one or make your own stovetop smoker as shown here.

Corn Tomato Salad with Cumin-Lime Dressing

3 ears of corn, shucked
extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
pumpkin seeds, for garnish
3-4 medium tomatoes (heirloom if available), roughly chopped
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced, rinsed under cold water (helps to remove the bite), drained, patted dry
handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped
Cumin-lime dressing (recipe to follow)

Heat up a grill or grill pan.  Rub the corn with olive oil, season with salt and pepper.  Grill the corn until lightly charred on all sides.  When cool enough to handle, cut the kernels from the corn.

Heat up a skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot, add the pumpkin seeds to the dry skillet and toast, shaking the pan, until they begin to pop and lightly brown.

Combine the corn, tomatoes, onion, and basil together in a large bowl.  Toss with the cumin-lime dressing.  Season with salt and pepper.  Top with toasted pumpkin seeds and sprinkle with a little more basil.

Cumin-Lime Dressing

1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat a small skillet over high heat.  When hot, add the whole cumin seeds to the dry skillet.  Shake the pan to keep the seeds moving around until they darken slightly and give off an earthy aroma, about 1 minute.  Transfer the seeds to a mortar and pestle or spice/coffee grinder.  Grind to a powder.

Combine the ground cumin, olive oil, lime juice, and vinegar in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Whisk until well incorporated.