Gluten Free Cream of Tomato Soup

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As I’ve said in a previous blog, I am going to feature other bloggers once in awhile. This time its my  dear friend Laurie over at The Frugal Farmer . I am posting the recipe for  a soup I made for her, which she recently requested. It honestly is one of the best tomato soups I’ve ever made, and the only recipe I now use.

Yes, it is a little putzy, but it is well worth the effort. I double the recipe and freeze half before adding the cream. It’s then easy to defrost, reheat and add the cream and brandy. (I use brandy, but you can use sherry if you prefer)

The original recipe is not gluten free, but I have modified it to be gluten free by using my gluten free Artisan Flour Blend by Pamela’s. If you are not gluten intolerant, just use all-purpose flour.

Cream of Tomato Soup- Gluten Free.

2 (28oz) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice, drained reserving 3 cups of the liquid. Put a strainer over a bowl to catch the seeds and keep the juice, and carefully open the tomatoes, pushing out the seeds and juice.

1.5 tbsp dark brown sugar

4 tbsp unsalted butter

4 shallots, minced

1 tbsp tomato paste

pinch of allspice

2 tbsp gluten free all-purpose flour

1.75 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp brandy or sherry

salt and cayenne pepper to taste.

Preheat your oven to 425deg, line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and place the seeded tomatoes in a single layer on it, sprinkle with the brown sugar and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes until they are beginning to color and the juices have evaporated. Peel the tomatoes off the foil and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the shallots, tomato paste and allspice. Lower the heat to low, and cook, stirring often, until the shallots soften (about 5-10 min). Add the flour and stir to combine, cook about 30 sec. Whisking constantly, add the chicken broth, reserved tomato juice and the roasted tomatoes. Cover the pot, increase the heat to medium and simmer until the flavors marry, about 10 minutes.

Strain the soup in to a bowl. Place the solids in a blender, add about a cup of the liquid and puree until smooth. Add this back to the rest of the liquid, and put back in the sauce pan. (Rinse or wipe out to ensure no chunky bits are left behind)

[soup can be frozen at this point]

Add the cream and brandy, season to taste and enjoy! (do not boil the soup once you have added the cream. To reheat, bring to a simmer, then serve)

Below is a photo of the leftovers from a reunion Christmas cookie decorating party for my oldest and her high school friends. I have not made this soup in awhile, so I don’t have a current photo. My apologies.

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A Tabletop of Memories

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A Tabletop of Memories

This afternoon the last remnants of Christmas were boxed up and put away.

I love setting up the tree every year and enjoying the ornaments all season long. Some people like their tree to match their decorations. Some people have concerns about little children, or pets. Some like a live tree, some an artificial. Some are attracted to tall spindly trees, some like them squat and fat. I enjoy them all, since each tree reflects the personality and character of both the individual, family and business.

In our home, we have a ‘family’ tree. (see Christmas Past) A few ornaments from my childhood, a few from my parents, one or two from a great grandmother, and a myriad collection from every year of our marriage and parenthood. It is part of a tradition I started on the first year of our marriage, an ornament to reflect the passing year.

One year we took the family on a Disney Cruise (highly recommended), so the ornament was a medallion from the ship. One year was a gold 3D City of Portland cityscape, in remembrance of my hometown which we had moved from that year. One of my favorites is the Christopher Radko ‘baby’ I found with my mother (top center) when were celebrating the birth of my oldest. One year, we had a giant ornament making part for my daughters and their friends. (the ’09 cinnamon ornament you see) A more recent collection included a clay miniature Army hat for my college freshman who had enrolled in ROTC, an angel for my youngest ‘angel’, a mini cigar box for hubby and a roll of sushi for me. This year, to honor our trip to the Hawaiian Islands, you see the snorkel gear and fins in the foreground.

Grandpa Bill adds to the collection, sending an ornament to the girls every single year. And every year, I pack away the ornaments for the girls to a special box designated ‘Girls Ornaments’. That way, when my daughters finally fledge the nest, they will have a Tree of Memories all their own.

This is just one of our family traditions. What traditions do you have? Ones that you will pass on to your kids? Try to find ones that last beyond the moment, ones that are part of an annual event. Ones that will hopefully cause your own children, and grandchildren, to pause and think about family and the memories you have created along the road of life.

 

Christmas & New Years is ‘Family’ Traditions

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Merry Christmas to everyone, I hope you had a wonderful celebration of the reason for the season! 

Christmas is a time for family, whether it’s your own small family unit or a gigantic gathering of all the relatives. It’s about LOVE and LOVE is meant to be shared. For our family, that means having others over who may not have family around to share the day with. We have pretty much been on our own since my husband and I were married, so we have continued this tradition for going on 24 years now.

When my own children were born, we decided (since we were on our own) we needed to create some traditions to fill the void and make it feel special. And so we did. I thought I’d share our families traditions through the holidays. I hope you enjoy as much as we do. 

Christmas Eve: We have done this night with the only variation occurring these past couple of years my daughter sang at the midnight Mass service. This year, however, she was back on the 5 o’clock service so it was back to normal. Every year we dress for Christmas Eve Mass, go to service, come home and have the same meal. Food is an important tradition in this house! Baked Ham, Scalloped Potato, and a green vegetable. This year was creamed spinach (which was amazing) and a garlic-chili broccoli. When my daughters were younger and received presents from relatives, we’d open those presents on christmas eve (santa delivered presents for them to open christmas morning) as they were calling each relative to thank them and wish them a Merry Christmas. It was much less hectic than trying to get ahold of someone on Christmas Day! Every year, as is tradition, every one gets new PJ’s. We then put on our new PJ’s, I make a big batch of hot cocoa, pour it in Santa mugs and we pile in the car to drive around and look at Christmas Lights. Then home to check Norad’s ‘Santa Tracker’, just to be sure Santa had not passed them by. 

Christmas Morning: I have had to change this a bit now that we are gluten free. For years I did Wolfgang Pucks Quiche Lorraine (it’s simply amazing), an Apple-ginger Strudel cake and tropical fruit salad. This year to accommodate my daughters gluten intolerance (and it seems dairy is bothering her now also), I did ham & cheese omelets (cheese optional), a gluten free monkey bread, maple glazed sausage links, and a limoncello fruit salad. It was delish, and I believe it is the new menu going forward! While the food is baking, presents are shared. 

Christmas Day: We open our house up to anyone who feels like swinging by for a cup of cheer and one of my husbands famous Bloody Mary’s. I make a smattering of light appetizers, Stacys dip (see previous post), spinach dip, crudite, various cheese and hard salamis, fruit, and little sweets I’ve made over the holidays, like the butter crunch toffee. One year it was quiet with just another couple who stopped by, other years its packed to the rafters with little room to move.

Christmas Evening: Is the grand finale! Roast Prime Rib Beef, Yorkshire pudding, sautéed green beans, loaded baked potatoes and to top it all off, my mothers famous cherry cheesecake. And then we all fall in to a food coma and watch Christmas movies. Almost always we watch ‘Scrooge’ featuring Albert Finney. (honestly? the best version ever)

New Years Eve: My mother is the one who started this tradition. Being from the west coast and close to Hawaii, on NY’s eve we would always have what she termed as ‘Pu Pu’s’. This is a hawaiian term for a variety of appetizers or small bites. Some years I would do oil, cheese and chocolate fondue, other years it would be a mixture of ribs, rustic bread, and finger veggies. It just all depended upon what I felt like making. Then it would be a leisurely picking all evening long, until the ball dropped and champagne was popped. 

These are our families traditions, which have made this time of year very special to us. The one thing of importance, in my opinion, is to keep perspective of what you can reasonably accomplish, who you want to spend it with, and why you are celebrating in the first place. Christmas is not about the material things, it is a time of joy for those of us who are followers of Christ. It is the celebration of God’s abundant and endless love, proven by His sending of His only Son, born as a human child, to atone for original sin. We no longer are condemned to eternal death and separation, and that is truly a reason to be joyous! New Years is a time to contemplate the past year celebrating both the joys and sorrows, look forward to the new one with all its potential hopes and dreams. 

Whether or not you celebrate Christmas as the joyous birth of Christ, it is a time for everyone to celebrate LOVE. For moms like me, that is expressed through food and fellowship. However you choose to celebrate, I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a safe, joyous and yummy New Years Eve.