Home Sick? Soup Time.

As promised, it’s right back to where we started, and where we belong here on La Bouche. Food!  Yesterday Dad was home sick, and today it’s my turn to be home sick, so it’s a good thing I made soup last night.  I wanted something light, refreshing, and comforting to make Dad feel better so I thought I’d make a tomato soup with the tomatoes from our CSA box.  Now had I known he was going to make me sick in return, I would have told him to sleep on the couch and given him soup from a can.  

Before I got started on the soup, we had a photo shoot. See, our eldest, Chloe, has been dreaming all her kitten life to be a model.  Well, how do I say this without hurting her feelings?  She’s a plus sized model.  That’s the nice way to say it.  In all actuality, she is a straight up CHUNK.  So she contacted the company that is well known among my household and close friends.  The best thing since canned tuna. DIET COKE. (DC if you’re asking Kello or myself.)  

Maybe she thought it was like weight watchers? Pudgy cat drinks diet coke, looses weight, gains fame.  Yea….  I just love that she’s obviously telling Brian “Get the EFF away from me. I KNOW you’re not about to take the DC from behind my furry lard ass.”

Well, I think DC should consider it. She has lots of sass and is an ASSet to any brand.  Over here at La Bouche, we are proud to have her as a mascot.

Anyway.  SOUP.  This was just a simple what’s in your pantry / CSA soup.  

Tomato and Fresh Oregano Soup

8 ripe tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1 red pepper

4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth, your choice

¼ cup tomato paste

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ cup fresh oregano

2 cups conchiglie (shell pasta)

First things first, score the tops of your tomatoes in X’s and drop them in boiling water for 2 minutes.  Shock them in ice water, and peel off the skin.  Take away the seeds and give the remaining flesh a nice rough chop.  Heat some olive oil in a nice heavy bottomed pot, dutch is great.  Cook the chopped shallot, garlic and pepper for 10 minutes on low heat, sweating them out to make sure they release their sweet juices (Brian, stop laughing.)  Add the tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes, and then add the stock, tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. 

In the meantime, cook the 2 cups of conchiglie in boiling water.  Take the simmering broth tomato combo, and in batches run it through the blender or food processor.  **NOTE** It is highly likely that if your liquid is too hot, it will blow the lid off your blender.  Give it a minute to cool down off the heat, put a towel on top of your blender cap, and put some body weight on it to prevent this. I’ll never forget the time I had tomato soup all over my kitchen cabinets, floors, counters, walls even. You have been warned. **

After the entire batch has been processed, put it back in the soup pot and add the cooked conchigilie and the fresh chopped oregano.  Let the flavors mix together for another 10 minutes or so, and you are ready to eat! 

There is nothing that makes me feel better than cooking so should I find the energy to stand, you’ll have something extra special to read about tomorrow! 

OH, I just thought I should remind you of a few things. 

1.  5 days til Turducken. Boom.
2. Don’t forget to read my first Project Food Blog Post here.  Voting opens on September 20^th, and I’ll be reminding you when and how to do so.

Ok, back to the couch for me.

Love,

Whit