Dreams of Childhood

Campbell’s condensed tomato soup. Check. White Bread. Check. Kraft american cheese singles. Check. We all had it. And probably had it a lot. And somehow, we all liked it. But always we realized, “this could be better”. And indeed, it can; not in any truly transcendental way, but just slightly updated for an adult palate.

This is simply a more nuanced version of the classic grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup. There was a hint of fall in the air yesterday, and it made me nostalgic for this classic. Just done the way I would do it now. Take whatever liberties with the basic idea you want, but don’t forget that, deep down, you really still like this!

For the Soup

Ingredients

• 3 pounds roma tomatoes
• 1 cup light cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon MSG
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 4 garlic cloves
• Chopped chives (for garnish)

This soup will be just slightly ‘Italian’ in nature due to the use of garlic and red bell pepper. Just keep in mind we are not make spaghetti sauce!

Start by taking the red bell pepper and quartering it, removing all the seeds and pulp. Coat the pepper and the garlic cloves with olive oil, and roast in a 375 degree oven for about 15 minutes, until the skin on the pepper is blistered and the garlic cloves are soft. Remove from the oven and allow the peppers to cool. When they are cool, pull the skin from the flesh of the pepper and discard. All you need is the flesh.

In a large pot of boiling water, add the tomatoes. Let boil for about 6 minutes until the skins of the tomatoes crack. Do not overcook. You want the skins to be easily removed, but do not want to turn the tomato flesh into mush. Drain and let the tomatoes cool.

When cooled, peel the tomatoes, and cut each in half lengthwise. Scoop out all the seeds and pulp. Place the tomatoes, red pepper flesh, and garlic in a food processor, and purée the mixture until extremely smooth. This is not a rustic style soup.

When the purée is finished, transfer it to a soup pot and add the spices. Allow to simmer over very low heat for about an hour.

Now it is time to ‘balance’ the soup. Buy this I mean to adjust the exactly flavor and consistency until they are just the way you like it. First, add the light cream until the soup is the thickness and color you desire. For me, I used about 2/3 cup of the cream. Then begin to sample the soup adding salt, sugar and pepper to your liking. The amounts given above are a minimum amount to get you started.

When the soup is done, serve it hot in a bowl, and garnish with the chopped chives.

For the Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1 loaf crusty artisanal bread
• butter
• 2 cheeses

Slice the bread into 1/2 inch thick slices. Using a pastry brush, apply 1 tablespoon of melted butter to one side of each bread slice. Don’t be stingy with the butter – coat each slice liberally and evenly. Place the two cheeses between 2 slices (duh). I used asiago and manchego cheeses. Using a sandwich press, a grill, a griddle, or even frying pan, grill the sandwiches until both sides are golden brown, and the cheese is fully melted. When done, cut the sandwich in half and serve with the soup.