It's hot as hell (but I wanted tomato soup!)

The worst part about Texas is the weather - and the women who insist on driving huge ass trucks even though they couldn't drive a Smart car - but per usual, I digress...

It's September! I hear that fall is supposed to begin this month which means a few things:

• windows open, crisp fall air zipping through the house
• pumpkin candles. pumpkin wall defusers. pumpkin decorating. anything pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin and I'm IN
• apple pie baking
• soy chai tea lattes
• the itching desire to decorate the house for Halloween even though it isn't another month and a half away
• soup

I love soup. Broccoli cheddar, tomato basil, poblano chicken chowder... seriously, just a few of the kinds that get made in my house and eaten off of for a week. Especially that damn poblano chowder...

© cavewomanmom

Last week, we made roasted tomato basil because a) roasted tomatoes are like crack to me and b) we had SO many from the farmers market. [side note: this is one of my favorite things about farmers markets - not knowing what to expect, finding whatever is in freshest supply and figuring out your meals from there. So few go backwards - find the materials and then begin their craft - but that's the best, freshest, cheapest, environmetally friendly and healthiest way to eat and cook!]

© cavewomanmom

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

• 3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half
• 1/4 cup, plus 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1.5 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 yellow onions, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp unsalted, grass-fed butter (like kerrygold!)
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 28-oz can of plum tomatoes, juice included
• 4 cups fresh basil leaves
• 1 tsp thyme, fresh or dried
• 1 quart chicken stock or water (for a vegetarian version)

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.
2. Toss the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper. Put onto a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.
3. In a large stockpot, on medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic with the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil, butter and cayenne/red pepper flakes for 8-10 minutes, until the onions start to brown.
4. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme and chicken stock.
5. Add the tomatoes from the oven, including any (delicious!) juices from the baking sheet.
6. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer, simmering uncovered for 30 minutes.
7. Eat as is or put into a processor, Vitamix, blender, etc. to make less chunky, if desired. Enjoy!

We rarely have the basil needed so we generally mix fresh and dried and we always eat it "chunky" - the tomatoes fall apart on their own and it's just delicious.