Comfort Food
When the weather starts to get cooler we all seem to want something that comforts our soul.
What we consider comfort food really depends on who we are, where we come from and how we might have been brought up. Home can be a place for some of us or a group of people or an individual. Family could be your mother and father, aunt or uncle or grandparents that took care of you, taught you values and maybe cooked for you as a child.
I come from a family that loved to cook! We had lots of family gatherings with good food and fun. While some of us may not have been fortunate enough to have a mother or father that cooked on a regular basis we can still strive in our lives to make sure we do more than what we have been taught.
My Aunt Jackie had the art of entertaining in the bag! She created menus for my Uncle’s club meeting at least once a month and also entertained family on a regular basis. We all couldn’t wait to head to her house for a great meal. I remember her four layer coconut cake with pineapple filing and her 7-up cake. When I finally got her recipes for both desserts, after she passed I now know why they were so delicious because they were loaded with sugar!!
I have already begin to work on my next cookbook. It will be all about comfort food. I promise to include one of her dessert recipes minus all the sugar. My daughter and I experimented a while back with cutting the sugar down and still keeping the delicious taste.
Comfort food for me is a steaming cup of creamy soup with a side of french bread. I am a big lover of all things soups and during the fall and winter season I love to make a big pot of soup to comfort my soul. They take minimal effort and offer a pack of favors. I find that a cup of potato soup with fresh chives, croutons and grated cheese is my first choice. Second up is the classic roasted tomato soup loaded with garlic no can tomato soup in this house. Lastly on my list is roasted butternut squash & apple soup which is a lovely pairing. I am sharing my classic roasted tomato soup recipe below. Enjoy!!
Classic Roasted Tomato Soup
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (mix of fresh heirlooms, cherry, vine and plum tomatoes)
6 cloves garlic, peeled
2 small yellow onions, sliced
Vine cherry tomatoes for garnish, optional
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 quart chicken stock
2 bay leaves
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, optional
3/4 cup heavy cream, optional
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F
Wash, core and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves and onions onto a baking tray. If using vine cherry tomatoes for garnish, add them as well, leaving them whole and on the vine. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until caramelized.
Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot (set aside the roasted vine tomatoes for later). Add 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third.
Remove the bay leaves before using an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Return soup to low heat, add cream and adjust consistency with remaining chicken stock, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish in a bowl with 3 or 4 roasted vine cherry tomatoes and a splash of heavy cream.
Whatever your comfort food happens to be when the cold air rolls in make sure to share it and enjoy it with friends or family.
