There’s something about the onset of Autumn that brings out a deep need for me to make soup. Winter has its slow cooked meals and stews, summer is for smoking and grilling and spring is for whatever fresh greens might be coming up, but Autumn and Fall are for soups, the heartier the better. The closer to winter it gets, the heartier the soups get, but right at this point, when temperatures in the early mornings are in the fifties and afternoons are in the eighties, it’s time for lighter fare, usually vegetable or fish. It’s a time of year I wait for, and now it’s here.

I got the idea for this dish from my herb garden.  My basil has grown into a jungle and the oregano is doing fairly well.  With ten pounds of herbs outside, I figured I’d best find a way to start putting a dent in it.  Since basil and tomatoes go so well together, it seemed obvious that I needed to toss a tomato-basil soup together and I wanted a thin soup to dip the crusty rolls in.  My wife is a huge fan of zucchini, so that addition was a no-brainer. The rest was just seat of my pants cooking at its best, the kind that produces something that is far more than you expected, but with very little effort. In a way it’s the perfection of keeping the soul of your ingredients pure, and purely enjoyable as well.

I hope you try and enjoy!

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© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2008. | Permalink | 12 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Basil, Garlic, Italian, Oregano, Port Wine, Recipes, Soups and Stews, Zucchini