goodbye winter

About a month ago we had our last snow and how quickly it's turned into spring!  Almost spring. We had one last snow to play in of which I'm thankful for. For the first time I tried repurposing what I had laying around the house to make igloo blocks with Eden. 

Then as soon as it came, it quickly left and here were left with warm sunny spring like days and crocuses springing up. Now were planning our spring garden and getting our seeds growing indoors. And with that, enjoying some of the last frozen carrot tomato soup from the winter days. Our favorite recipe is from Amanda Blake Soule.
Carrot-Tomato Soup

2 TBSP butter
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 lbs tomatoes, peeled* and sliced in half with stems removed
3/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
(optional) fresh sprigs of thyme, oregano or rosemary
1 medium sized yellow onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
5 medium sized carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream

Place sliced tomatoes on a baking sheet. Cover with most of the olive oil (reserving 2 TBSP or so), and the salt and pepper. If you'd like a little more flavor, I sometimes add a fresh sprig or two of oregano or thyme atop the tomatoes. Place in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes to roast.

Halfway through the roasting, melt the butter and remaining olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic and cook until the vegetables begin to get soft (15 minutes or so). When the tomatoes are done, add those to the pot (removing the sprigs of herbs), along with the stock. Simmer on low until the vegetables are all tender (another 15 minutes or so).

Puree the soup. (I don't have an immersion blender, so my regular blender works just fine, doing it in batches.)

Stop here and see below if you'd like to freeze some of the soup for later!**

Return the soup to the pot and onto the stove. Heat slowly. Add the chopped basil and heavy cream.

Enjoy!

Notes:

*To peel the tomatoes, heat a sauce pan full of water and bring to a boil. Place tomatoes in for a minute. Remove and let cool. The skins will peel off easily after that.

**Because I love the basil and cream to be fresh when I serve this, at this point, I try to estimate how much I'll use for dinner now and how much I'd like to freeze for later. Usually, with this recipe, I freeze a one quart mason jar, filling it to within an inch from the top to allow for expansion room when it freezes. It makes a perfect lunch or light dinner size for us, especially when served with some crusty bread and sharp cheddar cheese for sandwich dipping!