While I grow many types of red, yellow, and green heirloom tomatoes in my garden, a favorite is the yellow Ananas (pineapple) variety, an organic tomato that is a pale yellow beefsteak with a red blush on the bottom end and subtle red streaking through the flesh. It is sweet, mildly acidic, and delicious. Other yellow varieties one might find at the farmers’ market or grow in the garden include Amber, Aunt Gertie’s Gold, and Amana Orange.
6 SERVINGS
EQUIPMENT: An electric spice mill; a blender; 6 chilled, shallow soup bowls.
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, plus more for garnish.
1-1/2 pounds (750 g) yellow Ananas heirloom tomatoes, cored and quartered
1/3 cup (80 ml) mild extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Garlic-Yogurt Sauce, for garnish
1. In a small skillet, toast the cumin seeds over medium heat until they are fragrant, shaking the skillet to keep the seeds from burning, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate to cool.
2. In the spice mill, grind the seeds to a fine powder and transfer to a small bowl.
3. Combine the tomatoes, olive oil, toasted cumin (reserving a little for the garnish), salt, and 1/3 cup (80 ml) water in the blender. Blend for a full 3 minutes to create a thick emulsion. Chill until very cold before serving in the chilled bowls. Garnish with the reserved toasted cumin and swirls of garlic-yogurt sauce.
MAKE-AHEAD NOTE: The soup can be prepared up to 1 day in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reblend at serving time.