INGREDIENTS:
4 large tomatoes, cored (about 2 ½ lbs.)
2 qts. Water
2 qts. Ice water
1 ¼ C. uncooked seashell pasta
4 t. olive oil, divided
¾ C. finely chopped red onion
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 C. water
1 T. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 T. minced fresh chives
1 t. minced fresh oregano
1 t. minced fresh thyme
2 (14-oz.) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 T. red wine vinegar
½ t. freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Score bottom of each tomato with an “X”. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a Dutch oven. Add tomatoes; cook 30 seconds. Remove tomatoes with a slotted spoon; plunge tomatoes into ice water. Drain and peel. Cut each tomato in half crosswise. Push seeds out of tomato halves using the tip of a knife; discard seeds. Chop tomatoes.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. Toss pasta with 1 t. oil. Cool completely.
Heat 1 T. oil in Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onion; cook 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic; cook 3 minutes or until onion is tender, stirring frequently. Stir in tomatoes, 1 C. water, parsley, chives, oregano, thyme, and broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pasta, vinegar, and pepper; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated.
Preheat broiler. Place bread slices on a baking sheet, and top each slice with 1 T. cheese. Broil 1 ½ minutes or until lightly browned. Serve with soup. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.
YIELD: 4
Amy Tiffan Grannan (4th of July 2004)
1 jalapeno, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2-1 onion
1 green bell pepper
1 can tomato paste
1 can tomato sauce
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 pkt. chili seasoning
2 T. chili powder
1 T. crushed red pepper
3-4 cans beans* (chili, kidney, black, pinto, great northern white)
Mix all ingredients in large pot and bring to a boil. Stir and simmer until flavors have mixed.
*You may want to add more beans depending on size of the batch.
Stacy Hart-Vance
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 tbsp. margarine or butter
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups diced, Yukon gold or white potatoes
2 1/2 cups cauliflower florets
1 cup half and half, light cream or milk (I used half and half---yum!)
2 tbsp. flour
2 1/2 cups shredded Jarlsberg cheese - 10 oz. (this is the key!)
Salt and pepper to taste.
3 slices dark rye or pumpernickle bread, halved crosswise (optional)
1/2 cup Jarlsberg cheese (2 oz - optional)
2 tbsp. snipped fresh Italian parsley (optional)
In a large saucepan, cook onion in margarine or butter until tender.
Carefully add chicken broth and potatoes. Bring to boil, reduce heat.
Cover and simmer 6 minutes. Add cauliflower, return to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, 4-6 minutes or more until vegetables are tender.
In a bowl, whisk half and half into flour until smooth, add to the soup mixture. Cook and stir until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low. Stir in the 2 1/2 cups cheese until melted. Do not allow the mixtue to boil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, if using bread, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Trim cursts from bread, if desired. Place the halved bread slices on a baking sheet. Bake 3 minutes until crisp on top. Turn slices over. Sprinkel with the 1/2 cup cheese and parsley. Bake for 5 minutes or more until cheese melts.
Ladle soup into bowls. Float one pice of cheese topped bread in each bowl of soup. Makes 6 main dish servings.
Lisle Merrifield
Recipe is from Better Homes and Garden March 2001 issue.
