warm food – Goboroot.com

As I planted garlic cloves for next year’s harvest in the chilly weather today, my hands were cold even though it was a clear sunny day after many days of rain. All I thought of is how I was going to make the garlicky creamy roasted tomato soup that warms me up inside out.

Some of my heirloom tomatoes and red bell peppers from this summer have remained sitting on a kitchen counter to ripen. This recipe is a nice way to clean up my kitchen and create some room for imminent winter vegetables.

Garlicky Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

I always eyeball the amount of ingredients for this recipe. When I have too many tomatoes screaming to be used, the soup gets thicker. So feel free to adjust to your desired consistency using fewer tomatoes. The result is always delicious as long as you stay patient and carefully roast and semi-caramelize the vegetables.

Yields about 2.5 L

2 kg heirloom tomatoes, sliced into 1 inch pieces

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 onions, sliced into ½ inch pieces

10 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly sliced

1 tablespoon cane sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 stalks celery, cut into ½ inch pieces

1½ L chicken stock or vegetable stock

1 cup heavy cream, warm

Garnish

Parmesan cheese, freshly ground

Italian parsley, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Place the tomatoes and red bell peppers on a rimmed baking sheet. Scatter the onions and garlic on top. Sprinkle over the vegetables with the sugar, salt, and black pepper, and then drizzle with the olive oil, coating all the onions and tomatoes as much as possible. Roast until the tomatoes and onions are lightly charred, about 30 minutes.

Baste the liquid over the vegetables and roast for another 10 minutes.

In a large heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter and sauté the celery over medium high heat.

Add the roasted tomatoes and the liquid to the pot, and bring to a simmer.

Add the chicken stock and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim constantly.

Puree the soup in a blender or Vitamix, and return it to the pot. Add the warmed cream and simmer further to reach the desired consistency.

Adjust with salt and pepper and serve immediately with crusty bread. Garnish with the cheese and parsley.

Years ago when I encountered a cheese and dill scone at one of my favourite cafes, Savary Island Pie Co. in West Vancouver, I fell in love with dill. The combination of a hint of buttery sweetness and the sharp edge from the cheese with the fresh distinctive aromatic greenness of the dill, had just created a delightful ménage à trois, the food kind. I picked up the scones on the way to Lighthouse Park, quickly photographed them in a moving car before we ate them and jotted down in a wish list in my journal about growing dill in my future garden. Then, we went off hiking at the park and years passed until I finally brought dill to my own little garden.

Now, I’m proud that my simple food daydreaming has become true and I can serve the special scones to my dear friends at a summer cabin trip. When I was delegated to be in charge of cooking at the cabin for friends who were arriving late at night, I had only this meal in mind. There is something sentimental about welcoming late arriving guests with a pot of warm chili and just-out-of-the-oven scones.

Chili with Ground Beef and Lentils

Serves 5-6

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½ inch pieces

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½ inch pieces

2 large carrots, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 ½ pounds ground beef

1 pound dried lentils, rinsed

1/3 cup tomato paste

2 cans (30-ounce) or freshly cooked red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes

1/3 cup chili powder, mild or hot according to your taste

4 teaspoons ground cumin

¼ teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a large heavy bottomed pot, heat the oil over medium high. Add the onions, green and red peppers, carrot, jalapeno, pepper and garlic, and cook until the vegetables are half way cooked.

Add the ground beef and cook with the vegetables until the meat changes colour.

Stir in 7 cups water, the lentils, tomato paste, and kidney beans. Stir to blend, adding the stewed tomatoes, chili powder, cumin and crushed red-pepper flakes. Bring to a boil and skim occasionally.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Or if time allows, set the oven to bake at 250F, place the pot inside and cook until slightly thickened for about 1.5 to 2 hours. Reserve in the oven until serving time. Just make sure to stir occasionally and add hot water as needed. I like cooking this chili recipe ahead of time in this way to enhance the flavour to its maximum.

Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Adapted from marthastewart.com.

Aged Cheddar Cheese Dill Scones

Makes about 15 pieces

3 cups unbleached white flour

2 tablespoons baking powder

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes

3 eggs

¾ cup whipping cream

A bunch of fresh dill, stalks removed and torn in pieces

1 cup aged cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 400F. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

Using a pastry cutter, cut in the cold butter until the pieces become the size of small peas.

Beat the eggs in a small bowl and stir in the cream. Add the egg mixture, dill and cheese to the dry ingredients and combine until the mixture forms dough.

Dust a work surface with some flour and roll the dough into a 2-inch diameter log. Using a well sharpened knife, slice into 1 inch thick pieces.

Place them on a baking sheet lined with a piece of parchment paper 2 inch apart. Bake for about 12- 15 minutes or until the tops are golden.

Serve immediately with a bowl of chili.

Adapted from Whitewater Cooks cookbook.

Tag: warm food

Garlicky Creamy Roasted Tomato Soup

Chili and Aged Cheddar Cheese Dill Scones