Since we had an abundance of fall tomatoes and the basil is still producing new leaves, here's our favorite of all time Tomato Basil soup. Great for cold, dark winter evenings to remember the sunny summer days by.
You can reduce this by half if you'd like, but we freeze some for storage. I've even home canned several quarts.
3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half (actually, any variety will work, Roma's are a little more acidic).
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil (EVOO)
1 tablespoon kosher salt (not table salt. sea salt works equally as well)
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed (dice them well or put them through a food processor)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 quart chicken stock or water
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (we're in the U.S.). Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.
In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade (Actually, if you'd like a chunkier soup you can by-pass this step). Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold... then enjoy. We kinda like a dollop of sour cream on top at serving time...