Farm's Bounty & Potato & Onion Soup

I got a call from Richard Ha yesterday to let me know we had 92 recipes entered in the " You say Tomato..." Recipe Contest.   When I drove over to his Hamakua Springs Country Farm to pick up the entries so I can sort them and number them, he asked me if I had time to take a little ride around to the newer greenhouses where they are growing lettuces, watercress and garden onions.  Of course I said yes!

The result of my little trip was a generous "care box" with samplings of the different lettuces, water cress, and an assortment of tomatoes, green onions, cucumber and the cutest little melons I've ever seen.

Pictured above are French Charentais mini-melons;  an assortment of Manoa, Romaine, Butter, Red Oakleaf, Green Oakleaf, Lollo Rosa and Lollo Bionde lettuces; Heirloom tomatoes: Green Zebra, Red brandywine, Yellow Brandywine, Purple Cherokee, Beeef tomatoes, Red and Yellow Cocktail Tomatoes,  and sweet little Grape Tomatoes.; a cucumber; Sweet Granex, green onions, and Sylvan English varietiy of watercress.

I couldn't wait to get them home and start playing with the gorgeous bounty!

After laying them out in a flat basket on the back lanai table and taking a few pictures, I decided to make a soup with the onions.  Actually, Richard gave me the idea when he urged me to smell the roots and made the comment he usually thinks of making soup with them.  Since all of the veggies are grown hydroponically, the onion roots were nice and clean.  All I needed to do was cut them off, rinse them a bit and place them inside a stainless steel mesh tea ball I use for when I cook with woody herbs and don't want to leave any in the food.

I cut up some small potatoes and a bit of green garden onion tips in 3 cups of chicken broth made a couple of months earlier and which I took from the freezer.  I then added the onion roots in the tea ball and let it all simmer until the potatoes were done.  The broth was a bit too concentrated and I ended up adding about 1/2 cup of water to dilute it a bit.

The soup was delicious served with a salad of mixed lettuces, a couple of sprigs of watercress and the sweet grape tomatoes.  I served a few unsalted soda crackers on the side....voila! a filling but light dinner for a coolish evening made in no time at all!

I will be using some of the tomatoes to make some more of the tomato confit like the one I made back in November of last year.  The lettuces, watercress, cucumber and the rest of the tomatoes will be enjoyed in salads and sandwiches.

I'm playing with ideas for the mini-melons and will share them at a later date....stay tuned!

Comments

[Sonia]

Jessie, it is still a few months down the road for you to get tomatoes like that, but just think about all y'll be able to do with them when you do!!!!

[jessie v]

sonia - i am SOOO envious of that color, that taste. lucky you!!!

[Sonia]

Thank you, Richard! I guess the camera gets inspired when placed in front of such gorgeous bounty! ;-)
I'll have to do something with the melons either today or tomorrow. They are at their peak right now!!! I have a couple of things in mind and will share whatever I decide to do! Thank you for providing me with the opportunity to have so much fun!

[richard]

Sonia:
You always make everything look so good and appetizing. I know that you told me that you sometimes cannot operate the high tech camera. But, aside of all that, you really have a talent for picture taking.
I am so curious about the soup, sound like it turned out really nicely. And, I'm dying to know what you will do with the French Charetais melon. Richard

[Sonia]

I think so too, Devany! But he is very nice, even without the produce
;-)

[Devany]

Sonia! You are so lucky to have a friend with such fantastic produce in the green houses! The tomatoes were especially beautiful!

[Sonia]

The wheels are turning, Donna! I will definitely make more of the tomato confit tomorrow.....

[Madame Donna]

Sonia, this is wonderful. I was curious to see what you would do with the basket of goodies!