Tuscan Tomato Soup

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Featured here is the Tuscan Tomato Basil Soup with a dash of lemon ricotta accompanied by Triple Decker Grilled Cheese Sandwiches which are skewered with rosemary.

The wonderful thing about this dish is the tomato soup makes a decent quantity and can be used as "transformed leftovers" as a delicious gazpacho.  The how-to on that will follow.

 Triple Decker Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

1 loaf of Rustic Italian or French style bread cut on a bias into 1 inch thick slices

1 lb Mozzarella Cheese (Polio Brand Whole Milk Preferred) cut into slices to fit the bread and approximately 1/4 inch thick

Olive oil

Pesto (either homemade or store bought... good recipe to follow in later posts)

Fresh rosemary sprigs (the thicker the better)

1.  Brush each side of bread slices with olive oil.  

2.  Take one bread slice, spread with thin layer of pesto, place slice of cheese, and another bread slice.  Repeat layering bread, pesto, cheese, bread until you have a stack that has four slices of bread.  

3.  Take a metal skewer and poke through the stacked "sandwich" to make a hole then remove.  Take rosemary sprig that is approximately 2 inches longer than the "stack" and push through the same hole to seal and hold the stack of sandwich.  

4.  Heat griddle or outdoor grill to a medium heat.  Spray pan and/or brush bread crust with olive oil.  Place on grates or griddle and cook approximately 3-5 minutes until outside is toasted golden brown and cheese just starts to melt.  Remove and serve warm.

 Tuscan Tomato Basil Soup with Lemon Ricotta

10 lbs Heirloom Tomatoes (or other favorites)

2 large sweet onions

4 cloves minced garlic

6 cups chicken broth (Swanson brand preferred)

2-3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup basil, chopped 

1/2 cup Ricotta cheese (Polio brand Skim Milk preferred)

zest from 1 large thick-skinned lemon

Salt

Pepper

Basil leaves for garnish

1.  Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl.  Use mostly ice and fill with water with approximately 1-2 inches of space at top.
2.  Boil water in large pot.
3.  Score each tomato on end side with an "X".  Core the top of each tomato.   When water is boiling place tomatoes in small batches, for approximately 30 seconds, until the skin starts to peal back.  Remove with slotted spoon and place in ice bath.  Continue to repeat until all tomatoes are done then drain the pot.
4.  When tomatoes from ice bath are cool enough to handle, peel tomatoes.  Tear tomatoes into quarters and with fingers push out seeds so all you have left are chunks of the tomato flesh.  No need for them to look pretty.  Reserve the flesh of the tomatoes.  If some seeds gets mixed in that is ok.
5.  In a heavy pot over medium heat, add olive oil then saute the onions until translucent, 3-5 minutes.  Add garlic for additional 30 seconds until pungent raw garlic smell subsides.  Add the reserved tomato chunks and add the chicken broth.  Bring to a boil.  Turn heat down to simmer and cover for 1 hour.
6.  Turn off heat.  Using an immersion blender puree the soup until smooth.  As alternate you can blend the soup in batches using a traditional blender.
7.  After soup is smooth, stir in balsamic vinegar (to taste), basil, and salt and pepper (to taste).
8.  Mix ricotta with lemon zest.
9.  Ladle soup into bowls.  Top with dollop of lemon ricotta mixture and extra basil if desired.

**Note:  A nice addition is to serve a reduced balsamic lightly drizzled over the top but remember a lot goes a long way with this.