Roasted Tomato Soup

Ok, I’m back, and this time with some really great soup. I got the recipe from here, and made only a few modifications. I added some roasted corn, from one cob. I also pureed everything using a stick blender directly in the pot, rather than transferring it all to a blender.

Roasted Tomato Soup

3 lbs Roma Tomatoes, halved
3 Cloves Garlic, whole
1 Yellow Onion, halved and quartered
5 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 1/2 Cups Chicken Stock
2 - 3 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
1/2 of a Chipotle chili in Adobo Sauce, seeded

Kernels from one ear of corn, roasted
Sea Salt to taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Finely chopped basil (fresh or dried)

1. Preheat oven to 400. Put tomatoes, onions, garlic and thyme in a roasting pan, toss with olive oil, and place in the oven. Roast for about 30-35 minutes. Remove the skin from the garlic and discard the thyme.

2. In a large pot combine the roasted veggies with the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer. Add the corn and chili. Puree with a stick blender.

3. Remove from heat and let cool to an edible temperature. Garnish with salt, pepper, and basil (some chopped bacon would be a good addition too).

Tomato Basil Pizza

This is the third type of Pizza a made for my friends. It was on the simpler, more traditional side, but still tasted very good. I think using really fresh basil (I picked the basil I used from a plant I have) does a lot for this recipe. I used canned Italian tomatoes instead of fresh, because they’re cheaper. No one complained about the difference.

Tomato Basil pizza
Makes ~14 inch pizza

1 rolled out pizza dough
3 Tsp Olive Oil (I actually used roasted garlic oil)
½ 28 oz. can peeled, whole Italian tomatoes. Drained and diced
½ cup fresh basil leaves
2-3 Tsp minced garlic
1 ½ - 2 cups cheese blend

1. Use a pastry brush to apply the olive oil, then put down the garlic and basil, and then the tomato (putting the basil underneath helps protect it from the heat a little). Sprinkle the cheese