Soup!

Tonight I made roasted tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. The roasted tomato soup was based on a recipe from Michael Chiarello of the Food Network-- I had seen him make it on Friday and it sounded good.

I roasted six tomatoes (which had been quartered and marinated for a bit in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper) for 35 minutes at 500 degrees. Once the tomatoes were done I sauteed mirepoix with garlic and olive oil until tender. I also added in about 1/4 of a cup of chopped fresh basil. Once the mirepoix had softened I added a small can of chicken broth and all of the roasted tomatoes (with their juices) and simmered for about 10-15 minutes. Next I pureed the soup mixture in a blender and added a bit of cream and a bit more pepper and balsamic vinegar. The soup consistency was a bit chunkier than I would have preferred, next time I would let the soup cool for longer before puree-ing. Overall though, it was very tasty and went well with a nice crusty bit of italian bread (and it wasn't too bad with the grilled cheese, either).