Roasted Tomato Soup

Line two sheet pans with foil. Cut tomatoes in half or if they are large, in quarters. Cut tops off garlic. Drizzle tomatoes and garlic with olive oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt, sugar and pepper. Place in a 350ºF oven for 1 hour 30 minutes. Turn oven off and allow tomatoes and garlic to cool for one hour in the oven.

Place the medium grinding disc in a food mill (the medium disc will add a little texture to your soup, whereas the fine disc will provide a smoother soup). Place over a large sauce pan. Carefully squeeze the roasted garlic from its papery skin and discard the skin. Using a rubber spatula, scrape one pan of tomatoes and garlic into the food mill. Turn the handle until you only have skins and seeds remaining. Carefully lift the food mill and scrape the bottom into the sauce pan. Discard seeds and skins and repeat with the remaining tomatoes and garlic. Don’t forget to get the yummy stuff off the bottom of the mill.

Add half-and-half, water (to desired consistency), the remaining salt, and basil to the tomato mixture. Place the sauce pan over medium heat, whisking to combine. Stir until heated through.

Serve with grilled cheese and garnish with a swirl of cream, grated Parmesan or fresh basil if desired.

Note: My batch yielded 5 cups.

Enjoy!