Canned Summer

When I was in junior high, I picked up (and uhh permanently borrowed) a copy of Ray Bradbury's Dandelion Wine from the school library. I have read it every year since - when the spring peepers start hollering in the little ponds, the smell of baseball is in the air, and I start craving strawberries... spring on the back of my tongue.

If you aren't familiar with the story, it's basically about a boy growing up, maturing, over the course of a summer, and how he reacts to his new-found knowledge. One of the things he does is help his grampa make dandelion wine, 'bottled summer' - to be enjoyed in small doses through out the cold midwestern winter.

A similar idea for me is home-canned tomato juice. During the winter and early spring, opening a jar of the juice takes me right back to hot summer days and juicy red tomatoes still warm from the garden. My favorite cold weather comfort meal is homemade tomato soup, and this juice is perfect for the job. So here's the basic recipe that my mother always used. It's not a hard and fast process, and there's plenty of room for play.

Mom's Tomato Soup

In a small pan saute:
2-3 T. butter and 1 T. finely chopped onion

Add about 4 T. flour (or a little more); cook and stir well (you're making a light roux-type thing - I use a small whisk here). Let it bubble for a bit.

Pour in 2 C. tomato juice.

Raise the temp and cook until it gets thick. Gently boil for a minute or so.

In a large pan have 2 C. milk ready.

Slowly add tomato mixture, stirring constantly. Heat, but don't let it boil. Add salt and pepper.

That's it! There are so many variations that we've tried over the years. Instead of onion, use a clove of garlic.

Try adding

• A bloop of sour cream
• Fresh chopped basil
• A sprinkle of finely chopped chives

The only thing lacking is grilled cheese sammiches...