Tomatoes picked straight from the vine, still warm from the sun, and juicy like a peach are the quintessential bode to summer. There are few things I look forward to as much each summer. Living in Minnesota means we are only graced with this form of beauty for about two to three months. Hence the reason I use them in just about every meal and preserve them in numerous ways. In this recipe the marinated tomatoes may seem like just a garnish, but the flavor they impart to this cool, refreshing cucumber soup packs a punch.
Tomatoes from the grocery store just don’t suffice – they lack flavor, texture, and all the things that I love about them. And besides that, there is a a lot of suffrage behind those you see sitting in the produce section of your grocer, which brings me to the purpose of this post.
I am joining about 50 others today in an event sponsored by The Giving Table called Food Bloggers for Slave Free Tomatoes. This event is to raise awareness about injustices in U.S. tomato fields and ask the CEOs of major supermarket chains to endorse the Fair Food Program, ensuring the tomatoes you buy are slave-free. You can find all the participating bloggers and their great recipes here!
Slave-free? But we live in the United States where slavery is prohibited. Not so… Watch this video by Daniel Klein of the Perennial Plate and you will understand exactly what I’m talking about.
Men and women lured from other countries in promise of a good paying job in Immokalee, Florida (where 1/3 of commercial tomatoes are grown) only to be forced to work for free on tomato farms. In the last 15 years, over 1,000 workers have been freed from slavery. The Recipe for Change campaign—launched by International Justice Mission is trying to end this crisis for good by urging some of the country’s largest grocery stores to commit to the Fair Food Program and agree to selling only slave-free tomatoes.
So I ask you to join me this summer in taking a stand to know where your food comes from and purchase only slave-free tomatoes. You can do this by buying tomatoes from local farmers markets like I did at the Minneapolis Farmers Market or use the ones from your CSA (mine is the fabulous women from Bossy Acres). Trader Joes’s and Whole Foods have already joined the Fair Food Program to ensure you are purchasing slave-free tomatoes as well, but personally I like to support local as much as I can.
This chilled cucumber avocado soup was a most refreshing dinner after a steamy day out on the golf course. The red and yellow cherry tomatoes are marinated in olive oil, cilantro, and garlic. Fresh lemon basil (check out Dehn’s Garden Herbs at the Minneapolis Farmers Market for the most impressive herbs you’ve ever seen!) blended into the soup is also a key ingredient in giving it another layer of refreshing flavor, similar to if you were drinking a glass of sparkling water with a lemon slice and basil leaves. (Hint: That’s another great way to beat the heat!)
-2 cucumbers, peeled and deseeded, then cut into 4 pieces each
-1 avocado
-1/4 c sour cream
-1 garlic clove
-2 T white vinegar
-1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped
-20 leaves of lemon basil
-1/2 c water
-1/2 t sea salt
-pinch of black pepper
For marinated tomatoes (make one hour ahead):
-15 cherry tomatoes, coarsely chopped and deseeded
-1 garlic clove, minced
-1/4 t salt
-1 pinch black pepper
-2 T minced cilantro
-1/4 c olive oil
In blender, puree cucumbers. Then add in remaining ingredients and process until silky smooth. Chill for 20 to 30 minutes. Top with marinated tomatoes and enjoy.
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Nicole @The Giving Table
July 24, 2012
Such a lovely soup! Thanks for being part of the movement today.
amandapaa
July 24, 2012
Thank you for giving me the opportunity. What you are doing is amazing work!