As someone who loves the change of seasons, I find inspiration in the kitchen again. Each new season brings new flavors, and fall happens to be one of my favorites. It was a beautiful, hot summer, which resulted in a bumper crop of fresh, vine-ripened tomatos. So as the weather turns cold, let’s talk about fresh bread, and beautiful creamy tomato soup. We at Marchant Carpentry want to give you a reason to use your new kitchen!
Harvest Tomato Soup:
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons good olive oil
- 1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
- 2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
- 4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish
- 3 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.
Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that’s left. Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons.
2008, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics, All Rights Reserved
Easy French Bread
Ingredients
- 1/4 C warm water 105-115 degrees
- 1 pkg dry active yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 3 1/2 – 4 C all purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 C plus 2 Tbsp. warm water
- 1 egg white and 1 Tbsp water.
Directions
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Combine 1/4 C water, yeast and 1 tsp sugar into a bowl.
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Allow to stand for 5 minutes until yeast is bubbly.
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Add in 1 Tbsp sugar, salt and water.
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Mix well.
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Add flour.
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Mix well and knead for 5 minutes or until dough is smooth.
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Allow to rise until double (about 15-20 minutes)
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On a lightly floured surface roll out with a rolling pin. (May divide dough into two pieces for two smaller loaves if desired)
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Roll dough up jelly roll style and turn ends under and place seam down on a greased cookie sheet. Cut 3 diagonal slits into each loaf (only about 1/4 inch deep)
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Mix together egg white and 1 Tbsp water and gently brush on loaves.
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Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
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Boil a pan of water and then put it into a shallow dish.
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TURN OFF OVEN
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Place pan of water on lower rack and then bread on shelf above pan of water.
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Allow to rise until double (about 20 minutes)
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Remove pan of water
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Leave bread in the oven and turn oven to 425 degrees and bake bread for 10 minutes.
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Reduce oven to 375 and continue to bake for 6-8 minutes longer or until bread is golden brown.