I'm home! It's Fall!
As I think I mentioned, we have an embarrassment of tomatoes. And I was thinking the other day about my school lunches when I was a child... and calling them school lunches is a bit of a misnomer; I walked home every day, and my mother was there with lunch waiting (I know... it was another time!!).
One of my favorites was Campbell's Tomato Soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. So, putting 2 and 2 together, I decided to use some of these wonderful OCTOBER SURPRISE tomatoes to make some soup...
and to do a little update on a grilled cheese (without going crazy with flavorings) and make a cheddar panino!
The panino was simple: sliced baguette, one side spread with butter and topped with good sharp cheddar, top slice replaced... and pressed in a hot cast-iron pan with sizzling butter. The soup was almost as simple: sweat some chopped celery, onions, and a little carrot (about 2 cups total) until very soft. Add 5 or 6 big, chopped tomatoes, skin, seeds and all... and a few sprigs of thyme. Cook until everything is soft.
Now is the time to break out that ancient Foley Food Mill you inherited... run the soup through the mill. Taste for salt and pepper... Reheat, and then add a big splash of cream... not too much or you'll cover up that great, fresh tomato taste.
You'll be shocked (and delighted) how much this lunch tastes like an adult version of your childhood fave!
Note: Don't ever boil the soup after the cream has been added.
Another note: The Foley Food Mill is virtually an old-fashioned food processor...
It will purée what you need, and it will also remove the seeds and skins. It's well worth it, believe me.