I remember the days when I could put a loaf of French bread on my table, and there would be none left after the meal. The butter would be used up, too. I was young. I had a good metabolism. I could handle it.
Then came the years when the butter was replaced by really peppery olive oil (extra virgin, natch). Most often, that was consumed as a snack while waiting for the meal to cook (with a nice glass of wine, of course.)
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| Homegrown chiltepin chiles with our ironwood chiltepin grinder, made by the Seri Indians |
Now, I try not to eat so much bread because, let's be honest, we know where it shows up.
An aside: Mark tells me that when he was living in Rome in the mid-70s, he was taught that you never ever have a glass of wine or alcohol without also having some food with it, bread at the very least. My converse rule is that you never ever have food without wine.
Back to bread. Because we eat less of it now, we often find ourselves with large chunks of leftover bread. Like you, we hate wasting any food. We freeze these leftover heels, we dry them to make bread crumbs, we make French toast. If we lived in a humid climate, we might stick a slice in the sugar canister to soak up all the humidity to keep the sugar from clumping.
When we had today's recipe in Italy, a loaf of stale bread took on a whole new meaning.
Yes, I am fully aware that "stale bread soup" sounds really, really unappetizing. This is where the Italians exercise their pure genius; they call it Pappa al Pomodoro. Everything sounds better in Italian! The name highlight its other main ingredient: ripe, juicy tomatoes! (Pappa al Pomodoro translates to "mush of tomatoes," which doesn't sound much better in English, does it?)
As with all peasant dishes, this one is based on what one has on hand. I am sure if you didn't have leeks, onions or shallots would do fine. And if you have only a few ripe tomatoes, some canned San Marzanos thrown in would be perfectly acceptable.
One key ingredient that can't be substituted is fresh basil. I put some in while cooking the soup, and the remainder goes in at the end, just before serving, for that fresh, basil flavor.
This recipe will easily feed four... or, if Mark and I are present, two.
Happy Tomato Season!
~ David
Pappa al Pomodoro
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 medium leeks, well washed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chile flakes
2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
20 large basil leaves, divided
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1/2 pound day-old bread, with crusts, cubed
basil sprigs, to garnish
Heat olive oil in 4-quart soup pot. Using only the white and light green parts, slice leeks in half lengthwise and then slice thinly into half rounds. Add leeks to the olive oil with the chile flakes. Cook over medium heat until leeks are soft, but not browned.
Meanwhile, cut tomatoes, lengthwise into quarters and remove the seeds. Dice the tomato quarters. When leeks are soft, add the diced tomatoes and half the basil leaves (whole) and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to break down and release their juices.
Add broth and water, and season with salt. Bring to a boil and then add bread cubes. Boil for 2 minutes then cover and remove from heat. Let sit for 45 minutes. Chop remaining basil and add before serving. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprig of basil.
This soup is good either hot or at room temperature.
Serves 4 as a hearty lunch or supper. Labels: chiltepin, leeks, pappa al pomodoro, san marzano tomatoes, stale bread, uses for leftover bread, uses for stale bread
