Supper Club; Part One

(Missing Allison! And...sorry for the bad picture) 

Once a month 5 other girls and I get together to eat a home cooked meal. We have divided the 6 of us into 3 teams of 2 and we rotate which team will cook each time we gather together. It has been such a fun time trying new recipes and getting to know each other. We are a group of very different personalities. We have bold, quiet, silly, poised, sweet... I could go on. It amazes me how little we knew each other and how different we are. Yet each time we gather together, I am wonderfully encouraged and look forward to the next meeting even more.

This past supper club was my team's turn to cook. The temperature was dropping and all I could think about was warmth. Warmth and ease. I almost always look forward to cooking, but sometimes with my new job I just want to eat instead. I want to skip the step of chopping, cooking and cleaning and I want to go straight to eating. Ha! I could feel this temptation creeping in and knew I had to find the balance. I was in need of a new recipe to try, learn and share but also something that wouldn't take hours (that I didn't have). My teammate (Emily) and I stumbled onto the perfect dinner. It was easy, quick and cheap but still elegant and worth serving and sharing at a Supper Club. After all, you don't have Supper Club to eat turkey sandwiches, now do you? Didn't think so.

Emily and I both have a flare of fancy and this hit just the spot. Fancy but rustic. Flavorful yet simple. Rich and satisfying. In my opinion, these are the perfect words to sum up this meal.



Warm soup is usually something I would eat in the winter, however tomatoes are not in season. But I am not about to sit here and tell you that I don’t eat tomato soup in the winter. That would be a full fledged lie. I LOVE tomato soup. Let me clarify: I love homemade tomato soup. Please, oh please, do not even offer Campbell’s canned tomato (or any kind!) soup. I can’t do it. I’ve been making homemade soup for too long and can’t go back now. Am I the only one who notices the tin flavor? The excess sodium? The lack of satisfaction from eating a can of soup?

I know, you probably hate me now. What a snob I am. But... I still feel the same way. I die a little inside when people eat soup out of can. I wish I could make them a homemade soup on the spot. With fresh and healthy ingredients, it's so much more satisfying than a can of soup. If only I had a portable soup making kit with 100% fresh produce all the time. HA.

Anyway, this soup. This amazing, homemade, so simple, better than any can, tomato soup. You need to make it. Make it in the winter, make in the summer -- I won’t judge. Although I will say since this soup uses fresh tomatoes the flavor will be significantly better in the summer, when tomatoes are in season. You could easily do a chilled soup in the summer, which would be extremely refreshing. Even though we made this soup a few weeks ago, when tomatoes are not in season mind you, it was fantastic. Warm, filling yet light, and oh so delicious. So like I said: make it in the winter, make it in the summer -- I don't care. Just make it! You won't regret it.

Rustic Tomato Soup
Slightly Adapted from Sprouted Kitchen
Serves 6

Tomatoes (about 12 Large Tomatoes)
1 1/2 Medium Yellow Onion
6 Garlic Cloves
3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Good sprinkle of Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper
4-6 Cups Low Sodium Vegetable or Chicken Broth (depending on how thick you like your soup)
2 Tbsp. Organic Tomato Paste
Good handful fresh herbs
Rustic Bread
Mozzarella or Goat Cheese

**If you want a creamier texture you could add in white beans, milk of your choice (nut, goat, cow etc) or yogurt. I didn't

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Chop tomatoes into rustic chunks and scoop out the seeds
3. Slice the onion into thick chunks
4. Smash and peel the garlic
5. Spread the tomatoes and onion on a rimmed baking sheet
6. Drizzle oil over the vegetables and toss
7. Tuck the garlic into the tomatoes to keep them from burning
8. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper
9. Roast vegetables for 20 minutes (I like to use the middle rack / also time varies on ovens)
10. Heat chicken stock and tomato paste in a big stock pot to let dissolve
11. Add roasted vegetables and bring to a simmer until warmed through (5-10 minutes)
12. Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until desired consistency. (If you don't have an immersion blender, then just pour into a blender or food processor. Be sure not to fill it up all the way since it is steaming hot; puree until smooth).
13. Slice and toast bread; top with cheese and broil until bubbly
14. Ladle soup and top with crusty, cheesy bread.
15. Serve and enjoy!

*If adding white beans, do so before pureeing. If adding yogurt or milk, do so after pureeing.

Bon Appetit!
Anne