I’m down to the last of the end-of-summer tomatoes. Not my own of course. The deer population wiped me out too many years in a row, so I never plant vegetables anymore. I rely on the local farmer’s market and friends who are either more persistent or don’t live in the same neighborhood as the deer do.

With my last precious few tomatoes (unless I can get some this week) I’m making Panzanella, a homemade tomato soup. It’s actually bread with tomato soup, and is very thick, almost salad-like. Also filling.

There’s a cheese-free version of this recipe in my book, Hip Kosher, but sometimes I serve it chock full of freshly grated Parmesan cheese along with some fresh basil, also from the garden. It’s hearty and filling. Great before a grilled fish or vegetarian dinner.

Bread and Tomato Soup with Cheese

10 ounce ciabatta, Tuscan or other crusty day-old bread

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

6 large beefsteak tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil

6 cups vegetable stock

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Toast the bread lightly or bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 4-6 minutes or until firm and lightly crispy. Cut the bread into pieces and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the bread and toss the pieces around the pan. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3-4 minutes, tossing the ingredients frequently. Add the basil and stock. Bring the soup to a simmer. Cook for about 25-30 minutes or until the bread has absorbed most of the liquid. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese on top, stir and serve topped with more Parmesan cheese if desired. Makes 4-6 servings

OH! for those end-of-summer tomatoes and the glory days of bygone Augusts when my big worry was what to do with the enormous bounty in my garden. Those days are gone. :(

But back then we ate a lot of tomatoes out of hand, like summer peaches. Fresh-from-the-vine. They didn’t need salt or basil or olive oil. They were so memorably sweet, juicy and wonderful that even my daughter Meredith, who was, at the age of 3 or 4 or so, what we mothers call a “fussy eater,” asked for them as a snack.

But then came the building boom in my hometown, with all the usual consequences. The deer, who once lived in the forests, had fewer places to run and live. So they decided to live near me because we still had some woods at the back of our house.

They found my tomatoes and ate them. And all the tomato flowers that never grew into tomatoes. And tomato plant stems. They ate it all.

I tried again, for two more years. Those deer were smart. You gotta love a fresh tomato off the stalk! And frankly, when I looked out the window and saw them nibbling I couldn’t be angry at them anymore. Deer are beautiful and of course, they need some food too. 

These days I buy end-of-summer tomatoes by the bucket at the farmer’s market. I don’t worry about what to do with them. We still eat most of them plain or sliced as a sandwich (Tuscan bread or firm white bread and mayo). But also as a salad and if there’s enough I make fresh sauce for pasta. And soup. Yesterday I made these stuffed tomatoes. They are just wonderfully sweet and tender and make a good side dish especially for grilled or roasted fish or as part of a vegetarian dinner.

Roasted Tomatoes with Cheese

4 large beefsteak tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

3/4 cup plain bread crumbs

3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 cloves garlic, chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the tomatoes in half. Remove the flesh and seeds, chop the flesh coarsely and place the tomato insides in a bowl. Brush the surfaces of the tomatoes with some of the olive oil. To the bowl with the tomato flesh add the bread crumbs, cheese, basil, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Mix ingredients to distribute them evenly. Stir in the remaining olive oil and mix thoroughly. Spoon the stuffing inside the tomatoes. Place the filled tomatoes on a cookie sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the stuffing is golden brown. Makes 4 servings

Anyone else feel that yesterday it was summer but the word September changes everything?

It’s hot and muggy. The hottest summer on record around here. And yet all of a sudden turning the page in the calendar makes me feel as if the season is over.

When I hear “September” I think back-to-school. I remember being a kid and buying new black and white notebooks and loving the feeling of writing on the thick right hand side. I hope I liked my teacher. I got new shoes. Thick sweaters that I wouldn’t wear for months.

When I hear “September” I know the food is about to change too. Purple prune plums for pie and poaching rather than the hard, sour red ones that refresh so well on a hot day. Tomatoes past their prime for eating, but perfect for sauce. The last of summer’s green tomatoes firm and bright and ready for frying. Huge zucchini, the last remnants of someone’s garden. My basil and mint are starting to decline. The dill has withered. The rosemary has seen better days.

September means it’s time to get the best of late summer produce and use up what’s left of my herbs. I just got back from our local Farmer’s Market with a load of stuff. After I finish this note the first thing I’m going to cook is tomato sauce, eat some with dinner and pack the rest into the freezer to keep summer alive later.

September Fresh Tomato Sauce

2 pounds tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, peeled and chopped

1 large clove garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the tomatoes, cook for 20 seconds, then drain the tomatoes under cold water. Pierce the tomatoes near the stem end with the tip of a small, sharp knife, then peel back to remove the skin. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze each half to remove the seeds. Chop the tomatoes and set them aside. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and basil and sprinkle the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15-30 minutes or until it reaches the desired texture. Makes enough for one pound of pasta.

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