Roasted Tomato Soup

 Oooh some days there are some beautiful tomatoes in the shops and when I saw these ones I just couldn't resist these big fat juicy ones.  Just look at them.  Who could resist?

Now I would recommend that you take the top core out of the tomatoes with a small sharp paring knife because when I made the soup from these tomatoes we found it very stringy.  But then again if you like the the extra fibre by all means leave them in.  Now some people prefer to remove the skin and seeds from the tomatoes but I found that they really added to the soup and when it was really well blended it made quite a meaty soup that warms and leaves you feeling full and satisfied.

Ingredients:

1kg Beef Tomatoes
2 Red Peppers
3 Large Onions
1 Head of Garlic
Olive Oil
1/4 litre Vegetable Stock
Few sprigs of Thyme, Oregano, Bay Leaf
1tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
Seasoning: Salt, Pepper, Sugar


Method:

• Preheat the oven to 190°C.
• Slice the tomatoes in half and place face up on a roasting tray.
• Crush open the bulb of garlic and separate out the cloves.  Leave the skin on the garlic and pop into the tray.
• Peel and quarter the onions and squeeze them in between the tomatoes along with chunks of the red pepper.
• Throw in the sprigs of thyme.
• Sprinkle with a tsp of sugar and season with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables in the tray.
• Roast in the oven for 1 hour. 
• When the tomatoes are soft and just about holding it together, remove them from the oven and pour them into a large pot.  Don't forget all the lovely juices at the bottom of the tray.  It is full of flavour.
• Squeeze all of the soft gooey insides out of the garlic cloves and add them to the pot.
• With your thumb nail and forefinger scrape off all the leaves from the sprigs of thyme and add to the soup mixture.
• Tie together the oregano and bay leaf to enable you to take them out of the pot again with ease. 
• Pour stock into the pot, pop on the lid and bring to a light simmer.
• When all of the veg are soft and falling apart easily, make sure that the onions have softened well, remove the bunch of herbs and blend with a stick blender until smooth.
• Season well and add 1tbs balsamic vinegar just to bring out the full fruity flavour of the tomatoes.
• Return to the heat for a few more minutes to bring it back up to temperature after using the blender on it.
• Serve straight away with crusty rolls slathered with a thick layer of butter. Enjoy!!

With Just Three Simple Ingredients.....

I have found that the best way to get a wide variety of vegetables into the kids is by making some soups.  I can hide all their least favourite veggies in the guise of something warm and comforting.  This leek and potato soup is very easy to make and it is really tasty considering that there is only three vegetables required.  I find it great as an after school snack or even substantial enough for an evening meal when served with some fresh bread. Sometimes when I have some leftover baked ham from a previous dinner, I like to cut it into small cubes and sprinkle them on top of the soup.  A complete meal in a bowl.

Potato and Leek Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 Large Leeks
• 5 Medium Floury Potatoes
• 1 Large Onion
• 1 Litre of Stock
• A Knob of Butter

Method:

• Cut away the dark green tops of the leeks as they are too tough, slice and wash the rest of the leeks leaving a little water on them.
• Peel and roughly dice the potatoes and onion.
• On a medium heat the knob of butter in the pot until it bubbles slightly, add in the vegetables and reduce the heat a little.
• Stir well and ensure that all the vegetables are covered in the butter.
• Cover the vegetables with a sheet of greaseproof paper and put the lid on the pot.  
• On a low heat allow the veg to steam for 10-15 minutes or until the leeks have softened.  This is very important, otherwise the leeks will stay stringy and won't release their full flavour.
• Remove the paper and add in the stock.  I like to use a mixture of vegetable and chicken stock, just to give it a little depth of flavour.
• Replace the lid and allow to simmer on a medium heat for a further 10 mins.
• Whizz it up with a hand blender until smooth.
• Season to taste.
• Eat.  Yum yum diddlyumsciuos.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as we do.  I'd love to know what you think about my recipes.  Do I write them ok?  Are they easy to follow?  Or will I just give up on this side of my blog?  A little advice would be seriously welcome.

Rosie xx

Butternut Squash Soup

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
1 Butternut squash
4 Carrots
1 Onion
2 Clove of Garlic
1 1/2" of Ginger Grated
1 Big potato
2 Bay Leaves
A Good Pinch of Dried Thyme
1/2 tsp of Paprika
1Pt of Veg Stock
1 Pt of Water

1.  Peel and cube all the vegetables.

2.  In a little butter and oil sweat the veg slowly until caramelised and softened. This should take about 15             mins.

3.  Add in the stock , herbs, paprika, ginger and garlic.

4.  Cook for about 30 mins or until the vegetables are soft.

5.  Puree the soup with a hand blender and serve with a nice slice of buttered brown bread or crusty rolls.