{Day 33/365} Tomato soup with basil

Tomorrow my family is coming over to celebrate my 26th birthday, and some of them will stay/come for dinner. It'll be a busy day tomorrow, so I wanted to make some things in advance, for example this tomato soup with red bell peppers. The recipe is from a blog called Will Cook for Friends. 

For 6 servings you will need: 

- 3-4 TBSP olive oil

- 1,3 kg fresh tomatoes (I used about 8 vine-ripened tomatoes, but you could use heirloom, plum, or any other kind of tomato you like)

- 1 red bell pepper

- 3-4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

- 1/2 yellow onion, diced

- 4 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

- 2 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped

- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

- 1 cup water, as needed

- salt and pepper to taste

- Pinch of sugar, optional (to round out the flavor if your tomatoes aren't sweet enough)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400f.

2. Halve or quarter your tomatoes and lay the on a rimmed baking sheet, cut-side up. Halve or quarter the bell pepper, remove the seeds, and lay it on the baking sheet as well. Drizzle the tomatoes and pepper liberally with olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.

3. Place the tray in the oven and roast for 45-60 minutes, or until the tomatoes smell sweet and the edges have begun to shrivel up, rotating the pan halfway through.

4. In a large pot over medium heat, saute the onion and garlic for 4-5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of basil and all of the roasted tomatoes, bell pepper, and the juices that have collected in the baking sheet. Stir to combine, then blend smooth with an immersion blender (or, carefully transfer the mixture to a regular blender and place a dish towel over the top to avoid splattering. Pulse a few times, then blend until smooth and return to the pot).

5. Add 1 more tablespoon of basil, 1 tablespoon of the oregano, and the balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine. Add water as needed to thin the soup to desired consistency.

6. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Feel free to add a pinch of sugar, to taste, if the tomatoes aren't sweet enough on their own. Stir in the remaining basil and oregano, and remove from heat. Serve immediately with a drizzle of olive oil, or store in the fridge overnight to let the flavors mingle. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen indefinitely.

{Day 28/365} Garlic Parmesan Pull-Apart Bread

Today, me and the mr. went to the local market to get some vegetables for the weekend. I got a lot of tomatoes (we're talking kilos) for tomato soup (recipe will be up in the next two weeks), which I wanted to make because I needed something to go with the garlic parmesan pull-apart bread. Ha. Here's the recipe (from the lovely blog Pastry Affair):

For one loaf you will need:

- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 330 mL barely warm water
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 420 gr all purpose (or bread) flour
- 60 gr butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 25 gr freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or more!)

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the yeast and water. Let sit 5 minutes until yeast is foamy.

2. Mix in the olive oil, salt, and flour. If you have a stand mixer, attach the dough hook and knead the dough for 5-6 minutes, or until elastic. If you are doing this by hand, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until dough is elastic, 7-10 minutes. 

3. Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until dough is doubled in size.

4. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, parsley flakes, and minced garlic. Set aside. 

5. Punch down the dough. Tear off small pieces of dough (roughly the size of the bowl of a medium spoon), coat in the butter mixture, and place in the bottom of a bundt pan. Repeat this process until you have one layer of dough balls. 

6. Sprinkle on 1/3 of the Parmesan cheese. Continue layering the dough balls and cheese until you have 3 layers. 

7. Cover the pan with a clean towel and allow to sit until dough has doubled in size, 20-30 minutes. 

8. Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celcius.

9. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bread is golden brown. Serve hot with a side of marinara or tomato sauce.

{Day 14/365} Vintage books

Recently I developed an interest in gardens, plants, herbs, flowers, etc. Not because I've got this amazing garden, unfortunately I just have a small balcony. It's just that I have the hope that one day, I will have a beautiful house, with an amazing garden. For now, I just extend my collection of these vintage books and enjoy the gorgeous drawings in the books.