Tomato soup with melting bocconcini
Serves 6
Ingredients:
12 (about 1.2kg) roma tomatoes, halved
Pinch of caster sugar
1 tbs Extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
12 vine-ripened cherry tomatoes
50g unsalted butter
2 onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped (i used 6:))
400g can chopped tomatoes
2 tbs sun-dried tomato paste
1 bay leaf
1 basil spring, plus extra leaves to garnish
1 litre (4 cups) vegetable stock
12 baby bocconcini
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Place Roma tomatoes, cut side up on a baking tray. Top with sugar, drizzle with oil and season. Roast for 30 minutes until softened. Add cherry tomatoes to the tray, drizzle with a little more oil and season. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes or until lightly charred and softened. Set aside.
Meanwhile, heat butter and 1 tbs oil in a pan over medium heat. Cook onion, carrot, celery and garlic, stirring, for 2 - 3 minutes until softened. Add canned tomatoes, tomato paste, bay leaf, basil, stock, roasted roma tomato and any cooking juices. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes until vegetables are tender. Discard basil sprig, cool slightly, then blend the soup in batches. Pass through a sieve into the pan, then cook over low heat, stirring, for 2-3 minutes until warmed through. Adjust the seasoning.
Place the bocconcini on a baking tray lined with baking paper and bake for 2 minutes until just warm and lightly melted (do not overcook or the cheese will melt completely). Ladle the soup into serving bowls and scoop molten bocconcini into each one. Garnish with the roasted cherry tomatoes and basil leaves, drizzle with oil and serve with garlic bread.
Parmesan & Garlic bread
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
3 garlic bulbs (skin on)
2 tbs olive oil
250g unsalted butter, softened
2 tbs chipped flat leaf parsley
2 sourdough baguettes
1 1/4 cups (100g) of finely grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 170 degrees celsius. Place garlic, cut side up on an oiled baking tray. Drizzle with oil, then roast for 40 minutes until soft and caramelised. Cool, then squeeze garlic from its skin, roughly mash in a bowl and season. Stir in the butter and parsley.
Make diagonal cuts in the baguettes, without slicing all the way through. Spread the butter mixture and sprinkle the cheese between each slice and on top of the loaves. Bake for 15 minutes until crisp.
Enjoy!