Patchy Snowy Conditions, Bump Lessons And An Abundance Of Tomatoes

After the large snowfall two weeks ago, it's become warm, a bit rainy, and almost springlike.  Skiing has been challenging with some nice snow, choppy sticky snow and sheet ice, all in one ski run.  These are the times it's good to have some tuition, someone telling you not to forget your technique (or lack of) in the different and sometimes challenging conditions.

Claire, from the Warren Smith Academy, has been a great help.  She has a  good systematic and analytical approach, which I appreciate and provides constant supervision (not the just follow me approach) which I find really helpful.  Am I better skier? Probably.  Am I a good skier? That's too much to ask and really not her fault.  More of middle age plateauing, probably. At least she has me doing bumps without freaking out.

It's been nice to be out, even if one is slipping and sliding when one panics and doesn't point the body down the mountain when one encounters sheet ice. 

The always packed Dahu Restaurant. Must be the truffle pizza.

So after a day of practicing my skiing, I came home to discover I had an abundance of tomatoes in the fridge (too much eating out).  What to do?

First, I made a tomato soup.  Well to be precise, a tomato soup with smoky hot paprika and basil.

Easy peasy.  Fry a large clove of garlic a couple of carrots, and a couple of chopped onions until softened.  Add the tomatoes (I had three large packs of cherry tomatoes and 4 large tomatoes), a large tablespoon of brown sugar and simmer for about half an hour.  Add about two  pints of stock (or like me, lazy, two stock cubes with water, a lot depends on the amount of tomatoes).  Bring to a boil then simmer again for about 15 minutes then add a large teaspoon of smoked hot paprika. Put all the contents into a food processor (or put one of those handheld ones in the pan) and process until smooth.  I always then put it through a fine sieve since I like to have a smooth texture, no bits of tomato skin please. Chop a few leaves of basil and add to the soup.

What next?  I normally make the French dish of courgettes and tomatoes as a side dish when I am doing some grilled meats.  To make it centre stage, I first boiled some quinoa and then let it rest and fluffed it.  To this I added sauteed shallots and garlic.  Then I placed the courgettes and tomatoes on top, sprinkled olive oil, thyme and salt and pepper and placed inside the oven for 45-50 minutes at about 200C.  Garnish with basil.

Serve with a roquette and parmesan salad and it's a vegetarian meal!  A good healthy break from the meats in the mountains.