Roasted Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese

We survived the hurricane without any damage beyond getting a little stir-crazy, so I have to feel pretty grateful. We didn’t lose power or have any terrible flooding, but all we could do for days was watch the damage on TV. Of course, one of my first plans of action was to get to work on hurricane food.

Naturally, my first inclination was for mac & cheese, which was so delicious that it was gone before I could take pictures. For those curious, my mac & cheese is basically my tuna noodle casserole without the tuna. Next up, tomato soup and grilled cheese. I had some cherry tomatoes that were ready to be roasted, and combined them with some canned tomatoes to round out the soup. Perfect cold, rainy weather food. And it’s always a good time for a grilled cheese.

Roasted Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese

1 pint cherry tomatoes

4 tablespoons olive oil

12 sprigs thyme

1/2 can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed or pureed

1 cup red wine

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 slices whole grain bread

3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese

thin slices apple, a tablespoon apricot or fig jam, etc (optional)

Roast the cherry tomatoes with half the olive oil and half the thyme at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in the remaining olive oil for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the tomato paste and allow to rust for another minute or two. Add the roasted tomatoes, canned tomatoes, sugar, and wine. Allow to cook together for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the grilled cheese. You may choose to puree the soup with a stick blender, but we wanted it chunky this time.

Toast the bread in a pan with olive oil or in a toaster until light brown. Add the cheese and any toppings you may like. Cook in a saute pan with a little olive oil or butter until the cheese melts and the bread is toasted. Make sure to flip halfway through and a lid can sometimes help the cheese to melt. Use medium heat so that the bread does not burn before the cheese has finish melting. Allow to cool a few minutes before cutting, so that the cheese does not run out.

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Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

Pasta salad is a summer staple, great for lunches and picnics. I usually use this as a way to clean out some leftovers in the fridge, and in this case, I had some goat cheese and arugula sitting around. I love to add arugula to pasta when it’s warm so that the arugula wilts a bit.

Pasta Salad with Tomatoes and Goat Cheese

1/2 package penne or other short pasta

3 ounces herbed goat cheese

1 cup arugula

1 cup basil leaves

1 tablespoon garlic

1 cup white wine

1 cup cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

Cook the penne according to package instructions in boiling, salted water but stop the cooking 1 minute early.

Meanwhile, saute the garlic in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil for 1 minute. Add the cherry tomatoes and saute for another 5 minutes. Add the wine and reduce. Add the pasta and a little pasta water and toss. Cook for the remaining minute and then off the heat, add the goat cheese, arugula, and basil leaves. Drizzle the remaining olive oil and remove to a bowl. You can sprinkle some parmesan over if you like. It can be eaten warm or at room temperature.

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