I write about food, so as part of the job, I guess it helps to love food. Makes sense, right? And I do. I plan my trips around it, I run further so I can eat more of it, virtually every part of my life is inundated with the thought of ‘what’s for dinner?’ But, alas, I do have those few, persnickety food items that I can’t fathom gracing my lips again. (I swear I’m trying).
- Mint. Mint belongs in one of four places: toothpaste, gum, tea or nope, just three places. Please spare me the mint ice cream chatter, mint and chocolate were destined for divorce from the beginning.
- Chicken salad. You know that salty, brackish taste on the back of your tongue right before you vomit? That’s what the thought of chicken salad does to me. I’m not sure who believes nuts, stale fruit, mayo and 3 day old chicken carcass belong mashed together and called a ‘salad’. *If you feel like reading more bantering about the displeasure this repulsive meal brings me please read my post (here).
- Yellow summer squash. We all know these are the Ted Bundy of vegetables. On the exterior, nice to look at, while their insides are a soggy, sour vestibule for seeds not worth spawning…And they taste like rotting flesh. Gross.
- Hot peppers. I know, I’m making a deplorably gigantic generalization. Call me a pepper bigot, you are not wrong. It’s just that the buds that lay atop my lingual membrane can’t handle that much heat. When I was pregnant, I couldn’t even handle cracked black pepper. And truly anything north of jalapeños on the Scoville scale is enough to land me a week at a dairy farm. (I’ve been known to cling to butter and cheese as the saviors in life they are.) #mybestfriendburrata
I don’t feel this way about all peppers. I think habeneros have incredible, fruity flavor (but still waayy to spicy). I love hatch chilis in omelettes. Pozole would not be the same without the poblano and jalapeño medley.
And then there is the iconic bell. Slightly tannic and subtly sweet, the prized bell pepper compliments itself by morphing into the most diverse of cloaks, sauces and dips. And today she is the star of the show, as she transforms regular old tomato soup into Roasted Pepper and Tomato Soup with Sweet Brie Grilled Cheese. These peppers make my little lingua very happy.
Feeds 4; Takes about an hour
Ingredients for Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Soup
- 4 red/orange bell peppers, halved
- 8 palm sized tomatoes, preferably heirloom if in season, quartered (alternatively 2, 16oz cans of Cento tomatoes, see note below*)
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled, left whole
- 1/2 sweet onion
- 2 sprigs oregano, minced
- 3 glugs rosé wine (dry white would also be fine)
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 small handful basil leaves, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 small hunk parmesan cheese
- Salt, pepper, olive oil
Method
Heat oven to 400F.
On a parchment lined sheet tray, roast peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic with a few glugs of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste for 30 min. Mix veggies around at least one time throughout this time. Remove and allow to cool. *Note – if using cento tomatoes, do not add to the sheet tray, just add them in to the blender in the next step.
Place all peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic and oil/juices in a blender. Purée until smooth.
Add all herbs except bay leaves, wine, honey and taste – adding more salt/pepper as desired. Blend again.
Pour mixture into a large soup pot bring to a boil then immediately turn down to low simmer. Add bay leaves. Simmer for 30-40 min.
Remove bay leaves.
Taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Pour into bowls and top with heavy cream and a drizzle of good olive oil or parmesan cheese.
Ingredients and Method for Sweet Brie Grilled Cheese
- 4 individual ciabatta rolls (or whatever bread you prefer)
- 4 tbsp raw honey
- About 12 thick slices of brie cheese
- 1/2 cup gruyere cheese, shredded
- 2 tbsp salted butter
Heat a sauté pan over medium heat.
Butter the outsides of the ciabatta rolls.
On one interior side of each sandwich spread 1 tbsp of the honey. Top with 3 slices of brie and a little mound of gruyere.
Close your sandwich and sizzle in the pan for about 5 min per side on medium low heat – this way you get an oozy center and golden exterior.
Happy fall eating everyone!
