Tomato Basil Soup

Tomato Basil Soup

So I think I've finally made all the hot sauce (salsa if you're not in Texas) that I'm going to make for the summer.  I've put up a lot of jars!  There's still tomatoes coming in and I needed to figure out what to do with them.  I looked for a good recipe for Tomato Basil soup but just didn't see anything that stood out to me.  Figured I'd try to take a little from this recipe, a little from that one, etc. and by the end I had something that I liked a lot.  You still have to skin your tomatoes but it's not too bad unless you're dealing with a LOT of them (like at one point I had both my sinks full of tomatoes).

Tomato Basil Soup

8 cups peeled and cut up tomatoes (doesn't have to be perfect)
1 medium to large onion, diced
3 cloves minced garlic
3 1/2 cups chicken broth or stock (I prefer stock due to it's heartier flavor)
1 pint half and half
2 tablespoons dried basil
5 tablespoons butter (use the real stuff)
4 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

In large dutch oven, saute the onion in  1 tablespoon of the butter until soft.  Add the garlic and continue cooking for about 20 seconds.  Next add in the tomatoes, basil, and chicken stock.  Cook until it boils then continue to slowly boil for about 20 to 30 minutes.  Remove from the stove and using a blender or an immersion blender, make the tomato mixture smooth.  In another large pot, melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter and slowly add the flour to make a roux.  When the roux is a golden brown color, add ladle fulls of the tomato soup and whisk it in until it is smooth.  (This will take a little time, be patient so it won't be lumpy.)  Stir in the balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper.  Let this blend for a little while.  Turn off the stove and slowly add in the half and half.

Poblano Shrimp Appetizer

Now that summer is in full swing, our squash has finally died down to a dull roar...THANK GOODNESS!  The fun really starts for me with canning because tomatoes, peppers, etc. are all coming in and needing something done with them.  I absolutely love fresh tomatoes and basically only eat them during the summer when they have a lot of flavor.  The supermarket tomatoes pale in comparison to what can be grown in a garden at home or purchased at a local farmer's market.

On top of that, for the first time we're growing poblano peppers.  They aren't as big as what I buy at the store, but they have a great flavor.  I had only 4 small ones and didn't want them to go bad so I played around in the kitchen a little and came up with this treat.  My husband and I decided not only was it good served with a crusty bread (I used a baguette) as an appetizer, it would be a great taco filling as well.  Hope you enjoy!

Poblano Shrimp Appetizer

Cooked Shrimp (I used about 1/2 pound large shrimp and cut into thirds)

3 Tomatoes, peeled and chopped

3/4 cup diced Onion

4 small Poblano Peppers, diced (about 3/4 cup)

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Ancho Chili Powder (regular chili powder would work as well)

Salt and Pepper (to taste)

Thinly sliced Provolone Cheese

Heat a saute pan to medium heat and add the olive oil.   To the heated oil, add the onion and pepper sauteing until softened.  Add the tomatoes, chili powder, salt, and pepper and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed, tomatoes are soft, and flavors are blended (about 6 or so minutes).  

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375.  In a baking dish place the cut shrimp in the bottom in a single layer.  Lay thinly sliced Provolone cheese over the top of the shrimp.  Pour the tomato mixture on top of the shrimp and cheese (this will be thick so you'll have to spread it).  Put in the heated oven for about 10 minutes.  Serve warm with a firm bread as an appetizer or use as a filling for tortillas.