Roasted Tomato Soup

Better Half asked me to make him some tomato soup.  As he had endured a tough day or so, it was a no brainer.  If his soul needed tomato soup, then tomato soup it would be. 

This recipe is an adaptation from Tyler Florence's Roasted Tomato Soup.  It departs from the original recipe in several ways.  I will share my version of this soup with you.

OK.  I will be honest. The soup does require some preparation.  It takes some time.  But, it is well worth the effort.  Let's get started.

Roasted Tomato Soup

2 1/2 pounds plum tomatoes, washed, peeled, cored and cut in half
2 small onions
4 large cloves garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 - 14 oz. cans low sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream

Place the tomatoes, onions and garlic on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle liberally with salt and papper.  Place in a 450 degree oven.  Roast until the vegetables have caramelized, meaning they have darkened, about 30 to 45 minutes.These are the vegetables before they have been roasted.

 

About 15 minutes into this process, the kitchen begins to smell absolutely heavenly.  The roasted vegetables will have shrunk a great deal and they will be dark in color.

 

Spoon the vegetables into a stock pot. Add the chicken broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes longer.  The soup will reduce as it simmers.

 

Puree the chunky soup in a blender until smooth and return to the pot.  Add the cream and simmer for an additional 15 minutes until the soup is steaming hot.

 Better Half enjoyed his soup, with a white bread grilled cheese sandwich, dill pickles slices, and potato chips.  He said it was just what the doctored ordered. 

 

Alas!

As I strolled the North Forty for the first time in weeks this morning, I was struck with how tired and shabby the landscape looked.  Summer's last hurrah is upon us.  The foliage is looking ragged and stressed.  Blooms are struggling, growing smaller.  A few leaves have begun to fall from the trees.

 

Yet, even as I opined for the lush exuberance of May, I found unexpected pleasures.  I gathered these beauties for a breakfast bouquet, delighted with my discoveries in the arid, tired landscape.

 

I think the landscape is a little like me at this point.  It has been a summer of projects, as Better Half  has put it.  I flitted from one project to the next, my feet barely touching the ground.  It was an energizing, productive and satisfying summer, if not incredibly relaxing. 

 I, too, am feeling a little beddraggled.

 

 

I reckon it's time to shift gears . .  .

slow down, relax, enjoy the changing of the guard, revel in what the fall will bring.    

 

I shall miss you, Summer.

 

Preserving Summer's Bounty - Freezing Whole Tomatoes

The community garden plot, at long last, has begun to yield a staggering amount of tomatoes - great big beautiful pink and red globes, perfect for slicing and eating, as well as Romas, the paste type tomato, ideal for preserving.  Romas are a meaty, plum shaped tomato with a rich red color, when perfectly ripe.
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After having canned tomatoes for many years, I have turned to freezing tomatoes recently.  It's easy.  It doesn't heat up the kitchen like canning.  And, I like the texture and taste of frozen tomatoes in soups, sauces and stews.
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Let's get started.  You'll see just how easy it is to freeze tomatoes!

If you do not grow your own tomatoes, choose ripe, blemish free tomatoes at a local farmer's market.  These beauties have just been plucked from the garden.  Wash all visible dirt from the fruit under running water.

Heat a pan of water on the stove.  About 4 or 5 inches of water will do.  Once the water is simmering, gently lower several tomatoes into the pan of water.  Leave them in the water for about 30 seconds.  The heat will loosen the tomato skins, though it will not cook the tomatoes themselves.

Remove the tomatoes from the pan, and immediately plunge them into cold water.  I fill the sink with several inches of water and add a few ice cubes.  The cold water stops the cooking process and helps to further loosen the skins.

 

Remove each tomato from the water, slipping off the skin and coring it a sharp paring knife or serrated knife.  Place the tomatoes to the side until you have prepared enough  to bag. 

 

These tomatoes are ready to be put into quart size freezer bags. Each bag will hold a single layer of 12 tomatoes, a convenient amount for cooking.  A couple small basil leaves are then added to each bag.  My favorite canned Roma tomatoes are always processed with a sprig of basil. 

 These three bags are ready to take their place in the freezer.  Come this January, they'll be mighty delicious in tomato sauces, vegetable soups, and stick-to-your-rib stews.

And, the memories and joys of gardening with Mayor and Sis will come alive for me again, months after the last fruit and vegetables have been harvested. 



Sunset Sojourn













Sunflower Sunday

I think it possible that I would never tire of watching a newborn baby sleep.

There is nothing softer to touch than the skin of a newborn baby.

The myriad of sounds emanating from a newborn baby surprises me.

It would be nice to fall asleep as quickly as a newborn baby

with a full tummy and a dry diaper.

Cradling a newborn baby in your arms is likely to bring on

spontaneous tears of joy for no reason whatsoever.

Gazing at a newborn baby trying to fix their gaze upon you

is breathtaking.

Watching your own baby boy take on the mantle of  fatherhood

so easily and with such grace  

is the stuff of dreams.

 There is nothing more precious in this world than baby ears, baby noses,

baby feet and slender baby fingers.

Thanks to Orion and The One, who recently gave birth to a perfectly perfect baby girl,

 I am experiencing sensations lost to me for many years. 

 The wonder of a newborn baby . . . . ahhhh.

There is nothing in this world like it.