Tomato Soup and Parmesan Bruschetta.

For the past few nights Jacob has totally commanded the computer because he has been finishing up a power point presentation on an anthropologist named Edward Sapir. He wasn’t that excited about his report at first, but for the past few days it has been all he has talked about. I think Edward Sapir is amazing for two reasons: first, he is a linguist who worked primarily with North American Indians, and I think linguists are the smartest people on earth. Second, not only did he publish his linguistic findings, but he also published a collection of poetry. I love me a smarty with a sensitive side!




I found an awesome tomato soup recipe on the food network site that you should ALL try! (–Jon, this could easily be vegan-ified.) It is hearty and bright, and I had two bowls of it this afternoon when I wasn't eating ice cream-nutella-chocolate chip cookie sandwiches!

Cook time: 50 min (including prep.), Serves: about 6 people
You will need:

- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 15-ounce can cannellini (white) beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, plus 1 teaspoon, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2/3 cup creme fraiche
- Zest of one lemon

In a large soup pot melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender (about 4 minutes). Add the beans, tomatoes, broth, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Bring the soup to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, covered.

Puree the soup in a blender in batches, and be careful to remove the bay leaf before hand. Return the soup to a soup pot and keep warm over low heat. Season with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl fold in the lemon zest and the remaining teaspoon of rosemary to 2/3 cup creme fraiche. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and dollop each bowl with the lemon rosemary creme fraiche. Serve immediately. Note: Crème fraiche costs about eight dollars per container and can be very hard to find. Instead of using crème fraiche I combined about 4 ounces of cream cheese with about a half cup of heavy cream, then added the lemon zest, and just stirred that mixture right into my soup. I thought it came out wonderful, so you can try it that way if you like!

I don’t have a picture of the soup because I was too hungry to set one up, but perhaps I will post one later. I do have a picture of the bread I made to go with it.

This bread is easy, fast and delicious! It is a Guy Fieri recipe he calls “Pomodoro Fresco Sourdough Bread.”



You will need:

- 1 (12 to 16-inch) sourdough baguette
- 2 garlic cloves, halved plus 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- about 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for garnish
- 2 cups diced Roma tomatoes
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the bread in half lengthwise, and place it on a sheet tray. Drizzle a little olive oil on top of the halves and season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven until lightly brown (about ten minutes). Rub the crusty bread with the garlic cloves. Drizzle with more of the olive oil and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Return to oven to melt cheese.

In a medium mixing bowl combine the tomatoes, minced garlic, basil, vinegar, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper, and let sit for 5 minutes at room temperature.
Remove baguette from oven and top with the tomato mixture. Garnish with basil and extra Parmesan cheese.