Matthew McNair secondary school participates in the BC School Fruit & Vegetable Nutritional Program, which means we receive fresh BC produce every few weeks.
Last week's offering was the Pink Lady apple, which was originally bred in 1973 by an Australian named John Cripps, who crossed the Australian apple Lady Williams with a Golden Delicious to take advantage of the best characteristics of both apples.
Pink Lady apples are juicy, crunchy, sweet and slightly tart, and are characterized by a green "background" colour and a distinctive pink blush. They are great apples for eating right out of hand or in salads.
The apples were extremely well received and I had several students come back for seconds. With the few remaining apples, we happily incorporated them into one of our Culinary Arts Program's most popular soups: Cream of Tomato.
The recipe was developed years ago by McNair's very own Chef Instructor Raymond Young.
Young, originally from Jamaica, received his technical training from George Brown College in Toronto. Over the years, he has worked in various fine dining establishments including CinCin and Illuminate, and owned and operated his own catering company, specializing in fine Italian cuisine.
McNair is so blessed to have such a talented chef, for he not only turns out delicious food for the school population every day, but possesses a happy and inspiring demeanour that makes him equally well-loved by students and staff.
"This was a soup I started making several years ago in the early fall as the tomatoes started to come to the end of their cycle and the apples were crisp and fresh in the prime of their harvest. On cold fall days when the sunshine just isn't warming you like you want, there is nothing like the comforting flavours of a creamy tomato soup.
"All these years later, as a chef instructor for Matthew McNair's Culinary Arts Program, I have enjoyed the surprise on students' faces when I verbalize the recipe and they ask, 'Apples in a soup, chef?' "Cooking food has always been a passion for me, and when I realized just how passionate many farmers and artisan food makers are, it has made me want to pass this on to the next generation."
Vine Tomato and Apple Soup Yield: 6 servings The apples in this soup add a sweetness to offset the acidity of the tomatoes.
Ingredients: 1/2 cup butter 1 large onion (diced) 4 cloves garlic (rough cut) 3 whole tart apples (peeled and diced) 1 small cinnamon stick 1 tsp. fennel seeds 1 small star anise 1/2 cup white wine 2 Tbsp. brandy 1 cup whipping cream 12 cups vine tomatoes diced (can be substituted with canned tomatoes with juice) pinch each dry tarragon and ground cumin
Directions:
1. Place butter, onion, garlic, and apples into a stock pot. Cook until caramelized.
2. Add cinnamon, fennel seeds, and star anise and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Deglaze with white wine and brandy. Reduce wine by half.
4. Add cream and reduce by 1/3.
5. Stir in tomatoes and season with a pinch of dry tarragon and ground cumin. Cook at a low simmer until very soft, about 30 minutes. Puree and strain or process with a handheld immersion blender. Serve warm with smoked mozzarella croutons.
Buon Appetito! Dora Ho is a culinary arts instructor at McNair Secondary.
