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Monday 29 November 2021

Tomato Wizardry In a Bottle!

 

Tongue in Peat
Tongue in Peat

You say tomato I say….what the heck!  Tongue in Peat is one of only a few smoked tomato juices that are made, it however can boldly claim to be the only one that is peat smoked, with peat from the Scottish Island of Islay which they found imparted notes of tangy smoked sea salt!

Tongue in Peat is proudly made in Scotland by less than 12 people, making 5,000 bottles per batch, the tomatoes are hand chopped to ensure maximum surface is exposed to the peat fires!  It definitely sounds like a lot of love goes into the whole process.

Tongue in Peat
Tongue in Peat 

Well, on to the smoked tomato juice itself, I love the label on the bottle, this is what drew me in, it certainly peaked my curiosity and being a lover of tomato juice I was keen to give this a go and the lovely people at Tongue In Peat kindly sent me a bottle to sample.  

Tongue in Peat
Tongue in Peat

What can I say, from the moment you open the bottle you are hit by the smokey earthy aroma -  now on to the taste.  For my Bloody Mary I poured a shot of vodka into a tall glass, topped up with the tomato juice, few glugs of Worcestershire sauce, a good few shakes of Tabasco sauce, few grinds of cracked black pepper and some ice, I then garnished with the obligatory stick of celery to which I also added some jalapeƱo stuffed olives and a slice of crispy bacon, hoping to give an additional hit of saltiness, which it did!  

Tongue in Peat
Tongue in Peat

I have to say both the aroma and the taste gave you a double whammy of earthy smokiness which I loved.  This is definitely a different take on tomato juice and yes it won’t be to everyone’s liking but it was to mine so all good.  A truly artisan product and one I am so glad to have stumbled across, give it a go, I dare you!  If you do, let me know what you think and also how you had yours.

Visit them at www.tongueinpeat.com to obtain further info and place an order.


Wednesday 24 November 2021

Curried Squash Soup

 

Curried Squash Soup
Curried Squash Soup

  • 1 large squash, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 900ml vegetable stock
  • 1/2 can of coconut milk
  • 1 tbsp Penang curry paste
  • 1/2 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • Small handful Thai Basil
  • Couple tablespoons of vegetable oil
  • Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees.  Line a baking tray with foil and cover with the chopped squash.  Drizzle the vegetable oil over the squash and season with salt and pepper before roasting in the oven for around 20 minutes or until the squash is somewhat charred and has softened, then remove from the oven and set aside.

Chopped squash


Heat the curry paste in a large pan with some of the chopped chilli, once the aromas and oils are released add the coconut milk and stir until mixed through before adding the squash, stir again to coat the squash then add the vegetable stock and most of the Thai Basil (reserve some along with the chilli to garnish), stir and allow to simmer for around 30 minutes, skimming off any foam at the end of cooking.  Remove from the heat and blitz with a stick blender until you have a smooth consistency.  Serve and garnish with some of the reserved Basil and chilli.

This soup is perfect for this time of year, nice and warming and packed full of flavour.  If you prefer a milder soup then leave out the chilli and add more coconut milk to make it creamier.  I used up 3 small squash left over from Halloween and this made enough for 4 large bowls of soup.  The great thing with this soup is you can use any curry paste that you like or that you have to hand so ideal to use up anything you have in your cupboard.

Mark’s top tip - The skin of the squash is quite tough however a vegetable peeler is ideal to remove the skin!