Brrrrr..... It's chilly again....And a Recipe to Warm Your Innards!

Well, we've had spring-like temps the last couple of weeks but it got chilly again with an east wind.  Rain heading our way I think...  We had a little sleet or frozen rain this morning.  Now it's just grey and damp cold.

I decided that we better get busy and eat up the frozen veggies in the freezer and get it ready for the upcoming garden season.  It'll be here before we know it!

So today, I pulled out a couple of quart bags of frozen tomatoes and decided, since it was icky and cold, that I'd make some tomato soup with basil and thyme.

 

Here ya go.

There's lots of recipes out there for all kinds of tomato soup but this one is my personal favorite (cuz I took a recipe and made it my own).

Vickie's Tomato Soup

6 cups of fresh or frozen chopped tomatoes (I left the skins on - you're gonna puree it anyway)

2 slices of onion

1/2 tsp minced garlic

a few dashes of ground cloves (or whole ones if you prefer)

2 c. chicken broth

Put these 5 ingredients in a good size pot on the stove and bring to a slow boil for about 20 minutes.  Then, puree and set aside in a large bowl.  In your pot, place 2-3 blobs of butter and a couple of T. of flour and make a roux. Cook til brownish.  Add 1/2 to 1 c. of the tomato soup mixture and whisk well so there won't be lumps when you mix the roux in your soup. OK, add your soup back into the pot with the roux and mix well.

Now, here's what I season it with...

1 t. salt, black pepper to taste,  couple of dashes of Worcestershire sauce, couple of dashes of Tabasco sauce, 2 t. sugar to taste, 1/4-1/2 t. Thyme, 1/4 t. basil.  You can also use marjoram or savory herbs.  

All this seasoning is to my taste - you adjust the way you like!  If you want, you can throw in celery or carrot in while the tomatoes are cooking and puree with the rest.  I like it without.  Guess you could put anything in it that you like..... Anyway, season and then heat the soup well and let all those goodies just mesh together!

I'm thinking sandwiches and hot soup for supper, maybe grilled cheese sandwiches..cornbread?  Anybody ever put a tad of cheese or sour cream on top of your tomato soup?

I've got a couple of my garden boxes ready and set out some little collards.  I'm not a big fan but the chickens are and I thought I'd grow them some greens.  Who knows?  Think I'll develop a taste for them?  Nah...

Hate that I missed Vee's Note Card Party today.  I'm popping over there to see what's going on.  If you didn't hear, Debbie at Of His Pasture IS BACK.  Go see her and tell her I sent ya - she just couldn't stay away from us!  Thank goodness - she's always got such great posts - timely, controversial, but sure to ring a chord!  Take care, ladies!!!