(Re)Detox – Day 7 – and I have to say that it is so much better to detox with friends than alone. We have been sharing lunches, telling stories, laughing, and, at times, commiserating.  This round has been easier for me (although I had a little slip on Friday night that involved a bottle of beer) and I continue to feel better and better.  I made this soup last week which was a favorite – and everyone wanted the recipe you find below.

The preparation is very simple – slightly off the plan since it contains tomatoes, but they are still growing in my backyard and dropping on the ground.  I will stop eating tomatoes in October when there aren’t any more good ones to eat.

My friend Sara cringed, “Seriously? No tomatoes? That is upsetting to me.”

A part of the Clean program works towards eliminating potential irritants and balancing the pH in your body that the intestinal flora can flourish.  From page 152, “The nightshade family of vegetables – tomatoes, sweet peppers, eggplants, and potatoes – can cause sensitivity.”  There is a section entitled, “The pH Factor,” that goes on to explain that many common foods “create acidity or alkalinity in the body” during the digestive process.  Alkalinity is better as the body has to remove excess acidity. Unfortunately, the list of acid-forming foods includes processed tomatoes. But this one item is going to have to wait until Alabama August Tomatoes have finished spinning their magic.

I highly recommend finding a partner (or 3) if you are getting ready to start your detox.  Cooking, eating, and drinking are best shared in good company – regardless of what you are eating and drinking.

A Perfect Soup

Approximately 2 pounds fresh tomatoes, washed, topped, and cut in half (I also used whole cherry tomatoes)

1/2 large butternut squash
2 medium sized apples – cored and quartered
Juice from 1 lemon
3 cloves fresh garlic
Salt, pepper, paprika and cumin to taste

Combine all ingredients and cook over low heat until soft – about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Puree fully with a hand blender and serve with rice cakes. We enjoyed ours with a delicious chicken sausage on the first day.

The next day, I added a few more tomatoes  and cooked for 1/2 hour more – as shown in the photo above – and served with one cup of brown basmati rice and crispy baked okra.