Cooking Fool Redux

Back to last Sunday's cooking marathon...

We bought some chilies at the farmer's market for an interesting chilies rellenos recipe. It's very non-traditional. The recipe was originally published in Indianapolis Woman. We loved the fact they're not fried like most chiles rellenos. The flavors were perfect together. Best of all, I made this on Sunday and we baked it for lunch later in the week.

Chilies Rellenos
2 large chilies
1/4 lb Monterey Jack cheese
2 eggs
1 Tbs flour
1/3 c milk
pinch salt
1 c grated cheddar cheese

Remove the seeds from the chilies. Stuff with slivers of the Monterey Jack cheese. Beat the eggs and add the flour and milk. Arrange the chilies in a greased baking dish and pour the egg mixture over them. Bake uncovered for 45 min at 350.


Next up was Heirloom Tomato Soup. I've eaten at R Bistro several times and have never had a bad meal. But, when I read this recipe I thought Regina had gone to a LOT of extra trouble for a simple tomato soup. Guess what? It's worth all the effort! I will say the tomatoes released so much moisture that they didn't roast to the degree I wanted. Next time, I'll roast the onions and garlic separately from the tomatoes. I'd also mix in the cream THEN add the brown sugar. Since the brown sugar is to lessen the acidity it's best to go in last.

R Bistro's Heirloom Tomato Soup

3 pounds assorted heirloom tomatoes, quartered
2 sweet onions, sliced
4 large garlic cloves, peeled
1/4 c olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup butter
basil leaves
brown sugar
1/4 c heavy cream or half and half

Heat the oven to 450. Wash, core and quarter the tomatoes. Toss the tomatoes with half of the olive oil and spread on a rimmed baking pan. Toss the onions and garlic with the rest of the olive oil and spread them on another baking pan. Sprinkle both with salt and pepper. Roast for 30-45 minutes or until they begin to caramelize.

Transfer the vegetables to a large pot. Add 1 cup chicken broth, the bay leaves and the butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by a third. Remove the bay leaves. Chiffonade about 6 basil leaves and add them.

Puree the soup with an immersion blender. It's fine either smooth or a bit chunky. Add additional chicken broth to obtain desired consistency. Stir in the cream. Add brown sugar as needed if the soup is too acidic. Garnish with a bit more cream and whole basil leaves.