This morning I realised we are experiencing an inexorable slide to ‘porridge weather’. All summer I have been vacillating between starting the day with berries and yogurt, poached egg with asparagus, and a breakfast bruschetta of chopped cherry tomatoes, olive oil & basil on sourdough. All very delicious and light. But this morning – without any thought behind it – I reached into the cupboard and pulled out a forlorn packet of Scottish porridge oats. Using a half and half mixture of soya milk and water, I simmered this companionable pairing before adding dried goji berries and a grating of apple. And it was heavenly. If that doesn’t say ‘autumn’ I’m not sure what does.
But it wasn’t just the instinctively pre-hibernation breakfast that signaled summer’s end. Although it doesn’t yet feel too chilly, the other omens are abundantly clear: more than the odd brown leaf on the lawn, mystery mushrooms colonising under the oak tree, a lower, moodier sky. But my most accurate harbinger is the two extra bodies on the bed. Today Mr A and I awoke to find our cats nestled and immovable among the folds of the the duvet.
Over the years we have realised that as soon as Max and Mimi pad up from the cool and serene downstairs to warm and cosy upstairs, summer is well and truly behind us. So, barring a freak heat wave (highly unlikely) it won’t be long until we fire up the central heating and start moaning about the cost of it. Until then it is an extra layer and the comfort of cat-warmed feet.
I hope this doesn’t sound too depressing because, from a produce point of view, summer’s decline is a cook’s bonus. August is traditionally a hugely abundant and generous time of year for gardeners particularly, and plant food-lovers generally – despite the vagaries of this year’s weather. So today’s two recipes celebrate its bounty and beauty.
Some of you may have allotments and gardens brimming with the colours and textures of late summer – sun-yellow courgettes, crimson tomatoes, vermilion radishes and feathery fennel. But even if you are selecting under fluorescent lights rather than the sun’s warming rays, these recipes are perfect for highlighting and capturing the nutritional and taste essences of summer. For the soup, use your ripest, heaviest tomatoes and, for the salad, thinly slice in whatever looks, smells and tastes of summer. I have used all of the above with added broad beans (still on the go here in Scotland) for the salad, with added protein and fillip from the quinoa. As usual, adapt and make these recipes your own. No rules, just suggestions. If only life was such.
Nutrition Notes: Short and sweet – it’s all good, with oodles of most things we need. If you want more info about quinoa, here you go; Or chickpeas. Otherwise, get stuck in.
If you love tomatoes, this is the soup for you. Filled to bursting with cancer- and heart disease-fighting lycopene, it is also perfect if you have impaired tastebuds, having been successfully tried out on willing folk with just that problem.
Although I have added in the chickpeas for protein and a different taste, feel free to leave them out if your digestion isn’t up to the fibre challenge. To add more calories or make it into a ‘cream of’ kind of soup, do just that and add cream, crème fraiche or whole milk. And you can even have it cold, should the weather oblige.
In a large saucepan saute the onion in warmed oil, over a low-medium heat, for 5 minutes, then add the celery, carrot and rosemary. Saute for a further 10 minutes.

Oh my! Fall already? Here along the central coast of California, we are still waiting for our late, late summer! I am just now picking a few small tomatoes from my garden! I am enticed by the Triple Tomato Soup and may have to use tomatoes from the farner’s market!
Well, not quite, but everything has grown astonishingly well this summer so crops are a bit more advanced. Upper 60s F already, but that’s okay by me. Enjoy your late, late summer. Hope you get to try the soup. Adjust the intensity by tweaking the semi-dried tomatoes. First batch I made was so powerful I swear I could feel the nutrients coursing through my body!
I ran across a tomato soup recipe last night that had canned tomatoes, how disappointing? What’s the point? You’d use a can anyways in canned tomato soup and it’s take less time and effort. I’m glad your recipe doesn’t called for canned stuff, I’ll have to try it!
Melissa
Thanks Melissa. I have tinned tomatoes as an option (I like the Italian Cirio brand) but no excuse this time of year when they are so plentiful, succulent and cheap. As an American living in the UK I notice that US uses a lot more canned foods in recipes than we do here. Silly when US grows almost anything you can think of. Read my comment to Deb about tweaking the soup to your liking. Thanks for stopping by. Good luck with your studies 😀
SHHHHH there WILL be a heatwave in Sep ( I hope)
Lovely recipes as always xxx
You are so right! Once everyone properly back to school & festivals pack up for another year the sun decides it fancies Edinburgh! Off to Botanics just now to defy the weather. May try Moo, per your recommendation.
hi kellie, decided today i would make the tomato soup for the fam as my 16 year old boy is away to the army this week for a trainning week, hoping he hates it, so quiet in the household however the soup went down a treat even hubby enjoyed it as he is so fussy, so will be making this more often
Oh poor you! You sound like you are really going to miss your son. Miss R was away for 10 days for a school thing and I was as miserable as I’ve ever been. I’m glad the soup went down well though. And picky hubby ate it – result! Add some cooked grains to it (quinoa, rice, couscous) and it will be very filling too. Thanks for your lovely comment, Jackie.
i will miss him he was always a mums boy, do you know were i will get red pepper flakes? can you buy them in supermarket, none in lockerbie
You should be able to get a bag in the ‘ethnic’ bit of most supermarkets or in Asian grocer. Otherwise, let me know when you are coming into Maggies & I’ll leave some for you.
thank you for that kellie
mmmmm back on to the tomato soup love it, especially at this time of the year when it is starting to get colder, this is one of my favourite`s
Awesome Jackie. And with the rain pelting down just now it would be very welcome!
hope your daughter is feeling better.
Propped on the sofa filling in the UCAS forms…She is very bored, bless her.