Tomatoes, Tomatoes, I love Tomatoes! Pappa al Pomodoro Soup

Tomatoes are one of my most loved fruits, yes a fruit, not a vegetable according to botanists.  Either way a fruit or veggie I'll take them, any way they are served I love them.  They are loaded with lycopene a powerful antioxidant, a decent amount of vitamin C and Potassium, Folate and Vitamin K, all so very good for you.  

My favorite tomatoes are Campari, they are smaller than a regular tomato but larger than a cherry tomato and they taste like a Summer tomato all year long.  Plums are my second favorite, they are very meaty and not too juicy so great in sandwiches.

Today I made tasty and hearty Pappa al Pomodoro soup with regular slicing tomatoes.  This soup is thick and full of flavor, and you won't be hungry after eating it because it is so thick. It is a simple food, most ingredients you will have in your pantry.  Considered peasant food back in the day, it is has now earned culinary kudos from renowned chefs all over the world.

These are the ingredients I used in my Pappa al Pomodoro soup. Olive Oil, garlic, onion, fresh tomatoes, I also used a can of petite diced tomatoes for more color, winter tomatoes are not as brightly colored as summer tomatoes.  You could certainly use all canned if you like.  I thought I would try it with fresh ones.  Now, back to the ingredients, crushed red pepper, fennel seed, salt and pepper, fresh basil, tomato paste (in tube) its easier than wasting a 6 oz. can, and garlic paste in the tube for more added flavor. The tubes are great, worth investing in them to have on hand when you only need a teaspoon or tablespoon of paste or garlic, and last, one small loaf of Italian/French bread, a crusty bread a day or two old, even better.

Peel the skins off the tomatoes, slice and scoop out the seeds, only the seeds not the meat of the tomato.

 I would do this over the sink, it can get messy,

Chop them up.

A little crushed red pepper for some heat and crushed fennel for flavor, love the smell of fennel. I used a mortar and pestle to crush the seeds.

Yes, I used a can!  You can use all canned tomatoes if you like.  Garlic and onion cooking up, they smell amazing together!

Ohhhhhh baby, looky here! And that fresh basil, what can I say, I could lay in a room full of that fragrance.

Cubed loaf of bread, reserve a  little to make croutons for the top of your soup.

The bread is added and mashed with a potato masher, it helps to cook it down.

WOW, coming together nicely!

My reserved bread for croutons.

A little olive oil on the baking sheet.

Toss in the cubed bread, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss.

Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, when cooled, toss with a little parmesan cheese.

Piping hot! It's so good topped with more cheese, the homemade croutons and fresh basil. Delizioso!

Pappa al Pomodoro Soup

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small sweet onion, diced small

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of Amore Garlic Paste in tube

1/4 teaspoon dry crushed red pepper (more if you like heat)

1 teaspoon fennel seeds. crushed

4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or you can use 3- 14.5 oz. cans petite diced tomatoes with juice)

1 14.5 oz. canned regular Petite diced tomatoes with juice

1 1/2 tablespoons of Amore Tomato Paste in tube (or use canned)

2 tablespoons sugar (more if you like it sweeter, taste first)

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 1/2 cups of water

6 large basil leaves, sliced

1 loaf of crusty Italian/French bread, cubed (big enough for 6 -7 cups of bread cubes, reserve 1 cup for croutons)

Parmesan cheese and more fresh sliced basil for serving

Directions

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add the onion and cook until just transparent.  Add the garlic, garlic paste, crushed red pepper and fennel seed.  Cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes until all is fragrant, but be careful not to burn the garlic.

Add all the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper.  Let tomatoes cook down, about

10 -15 minutes.  Taste and adjust your seasonings to your liking.

Stir in the bread cubes, don't forget to reserve about 1 cup for your croutons.  Add the 4 1/2 cups of water and the basil.  Bring the pot to a simmer, stir and mash the bread with a potato masher until the soup is really thick.  Add more salt, pepper and basil if you like.

Serve piping hot topped with parmesan cheese, your croutons and fresh sliced basil.  Enjoy!

Note: If using all canned tomatoes just use the 3-14.5 oz. cans of petite diced tomatoes, do not add the other one for use with fresh tomatoes. So a total of 3 cans only.

 

Grilled Chicken, Roasted Peppers, Provolone And Basil Sandwiches

As I have said before, my sons bring home a lot of bread from their jobs.  I try to find different ways to use it so it does not go to waste.  My youngest son, who works in the Italian bakery, brought me home two rustic loaves of Italian bread, so I made these great tasting, hardy chicken sandwiches for four people. 

I used four chicken breasts and grilled them with a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper,  They got really nice and brown.

 I warmed and toasted the 2 loaves of bread in the oven, and these are the rest of my ingredients - fresh basil, roasted red peppers in olive oil and garlic, and sharp provolone cheese.

 Build your sandwiches when the chicken is done, then cut in half.   The colors are beautiful!

 Then serve to hungry mouths!  Pack it for lunch or a picnic, cut smaller and serve as an appetizer, these are so good and a great change to a lunch meat sandwich. 

Pizza On The Grill

This is something new I tried this year on the grill, pizza!  It was alot easier than I thought is was going to be.  With a few store bought items, I didn't want to go through the process of making my own dough and sauce if it didn't work out as I had planned.  But to my surprise, they were great, enjoyed by all and will be on the menu again soon with homemade dough and sauce.  This is how I made them.

I cut my whole wheat dough into four equal pieces.  Then rolled them out on a floured board and got them on the grill. I didn't oil the grill, and they didn't stick, lucky me!  After you get them all on, top with your sauce.

Start layering on  your toppings.  My son the pescetarian, wanted baby kale, red pepper and Vidalia onion.  I caramelized the peppers and onions in olive oil and then added the kale in the last few minutes of cooking.

 His pizza is topped....

 And so were ours, the rest of us had Margherita pizzas, with fresh mozzarella and fresh basil from the garden.  I used all the burners on my grill turned on low heat, and closed the lid.  I let the pizzas cook for about thirty minutes, depending on your grill.  Check on them frequently so they do not burn.

 My only tip - put the basil on the pizza at the very end so it doesn't dry out.  Very good pizza, and it was really easy to do.  The crust was crispy, not tough, and tasted like pizza you get from a pizza oven.  Try it, you'll like it!

The Margherita Pizza

 The Veggie Pizza

Easy Caprese!

I had a huge box of grape tomatoes that I got at Costco and I knew that outside of putting them in a mixed salad, I would probably end up throwing them out because they would go bad.  I had just picked some fresh basil out of my herb box on the deck, the last of it I am sure of the season, and my brain clicked, Caprese Salad! This would also be good as an appetizer, cube the mozzarella or use Bocconcini (small mozzarella balls), toss with the other ingredients and serve in small cups with appetizer forks.  So flavorful!

I washed all of the tomatoes.

 This fresh mozzarella is great, it's already sliced for you, all you do is open the package!

 Layer in any pattern you like, grape tomatoes on the side, sprinkle with salt and fresh cracked pepper, drizzle with olive oil and top with sliced basil,

DONE! Easy Caprese