tomato soup

It's tomato soup season.

I halved tomatoes and scooped the seed pulp out, while roasting summer squash and corn kernels in the oven.

Chopped up some onion and carrot and cooked them with a little butter and flour until the onions had softened. Added the tomato halves, salt, and zaatar (a seasoning blend with sesame seeds, sumac, and thyme). Cooked, covered, until the carrots are cooked through. Blended. Strained. Returned to the pot, cooked down a little until it tasted right, and added a pat of butter.

After ladling the soup into bowls, it's the garnish that makes it more interesting: roasted corn kernels, slices of roasted summer squash, sprigs of purslane, the reserved tomato seed pulp, and a drizzle of scallion oil.  (Blend scallions and oil together; heat briefly until it sizzles; cool and strain.)

It took five medium tomatoes for two servings (plus one small onion and one small carrot).