Savouring summer hours
and a recipe for the very best summer tomato soup
It’s too darn hot.
Too hot to work, to think, to plan. To be clever, witty, engaging. It’s limpid and humid and still, the soupy air cracked open wide with the symphony of cicadas.
It’s the perfect day for summer hours.
Making way for the weekend
The practice of closing up shop early on Fridays during the summer was born in the publishing industry in New York City in the 60s. Media types, with summer homes in the Hamptons, and eager to beat the traffic, wisely decreed that Fridays would be half days. And, so, starting at Memorial Day weekend and running through to Labour Day, a tradition was born.
Summer hours soon spread to other industries, and for a while, things went along swimmingly. Then came technology and with it, “flex hours.” It was a neat and tidy way of making everyone feel productive, and yet always on. Who needed Friday afternoons off when you had the “flexibility” to work at your own schedule?
Time off, away, unplugged, was still practiced, but only notionally.
Remote possibilities
Until suddenly all of our time was bent out of recognition. Every work rule and norm, carefully considered and debated, has been thrown out the window.
Remote work has made flexibility real. We’ve learned to truly shape our minutes, hours, days in ways that not only make us productive but make little moments of pleasure possible.
A mid-morning walk through the garden to check on the tomatoes; a run to pick up a missing ingredient for dinner; a Zoom workout or a power walk to re-energize; coffee with a dear friend. The shape of our days has expanded in lovely ways.
Undoubtedly it hasn’t been all sunshine and smooth sailing. Families have had the roughest go, as kids and parents vie for bandwidth and space and struggle to blend work and life manageably.
Going back and moving forward
And with that, what will we go back to?
What have we gained, what have we learned, what will we keep?
As companies make plans for the future, it’s clear that there is no one model that will work. That’s true for both employees who are able to do their jobs remotely and those who can’t, such as service economy workers.
Whatever model is adopted, there are still companies that have retained summer hours throughout this strange and unusual time. I’m hopeful that this old-fashioned tradition survives the transition.
It’s an acknowledgment that days are fleeting, summer is short, and time is precious. Because, more than ever, we need space to be out of touch from work and in touch with summer’s magic.
Tomato soup with arugula, croutons and Pecorino
from Six Seasons, Joshua McFadden
serves 2 generously, 4 as a small starter
It may seem funny to recommend a soup recipe in the height of summer, but that’s when tomatoes are at their magical best. With little else but tomatoes, and a few flavourful finishing touches, this is the perfect dish to make on a Friday afternoon or any time you might have 30 minutes - it’s that easy.
The recipe calls for homemade croutons, and while you can certainly use your favourite croutons, as I have here, the simplicity of this soup shines even without that extra crunch. I like to serve it just slightly warmer than room temperature, to really enjoy the deep tomato goodness.
Be sure to double this up and freeze some to have in the dead of winter.
(check out my previous post for a perfect seasonal tomato, peach and corn salad you’ll want to make over and over again).
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 teaspooons thyme leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes, cored and cut into wedges
A dash of hot sauce, to taste
1 cup baby arugula
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, for serving
1 cup croutons (optional)
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onion, garlic, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft but not brown, 5–7 minutes.
Increase the heat, add tomatoes and cover, cooking for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
Transfer tomato mixture to a blender and blend until smooth; taste and add hot sauce to your liking. Taste and adjust seasoning.
To serve, pour soup into individual bowls, toss in some arugula and croutons if using, and finish with a generous sprinkle of Pecorino, a twist of pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.