Tomato essence

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 kg tomatoes, very aromatic
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 50 g root vegetables (leek, celery, carrot), approximate amount
• Sea salt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Fresh basil, amount as desired
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 sprigs rosemary

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Total time approx. 12 hours 30 minutes

very simple but extremely tasty

Wash the tomatoes and cut a cross into the skin with a knife. Blanch the tomatoes in hot water and peel them. Chop the root vegetables and blanch them, then strain the water. Mix the tomato paste and root vegetables. Puree the tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetables, olive oil, thyme and rosemary, basil, and sea salt. The mixture should be finely blended. Hang a sieve over a bowl or pot and line it with a cheesecloth or thin tea towel. Pour the tomato mixture onto it, twist the cloth, and let it drain overnight. The next day, squeeze the cloth in the sieve to color the essence. This works best with a round, heavy object; I used my round meat tenderizer. Press and squeeze well! Then taste and add sea salt if desired. Serve with croutons, bruschetta, tomato, mozzarella, or basil baguette (warm from the oven), or anything else you like. The soup tastes good both cold and warm.