I Feel Like a Randy Newman
- Feeds 4
I state with complete confidence that this is the nicest tomato soup ever invented, bar none. It is crammed with fresh vegetables and goodness, so as well as being delicious, it is a kick-start to your system after a hard day.
This soup is suited for a quiet evening of recovery, reminiscence and re-birth. The music that fits perfectly with this ethos is that of Randy Newman, the eternal outsider and observer. For a nice sober evening where you don’t feel pressured to socialise, it’s nice to quietly contemplate Newman’s satirical slant on the world. And when you’re finished, you’ll feel like a randy, new man, ready to dominate tomorrow!
- 6 tomatoes on the vine
- 1 packet of cherry tomatoes
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes
- Olive Oil
- Balsamic Vinegar
- 3 carrots
- 1 red pepper
- 2 Onions
- 6 Cloves of Garlic
- Fresh Basil
- Dried Basil
- Dried Oregano
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 pot of Single Cream
- 4 slices of white bread
Take the tomatoes off the vine and chop them into quarters. Put them in a baking tray with the cherry tomatoes. Slice up three cloves of garlic and add them to the tomatoes. Slosh on masses of olive oil, pepper, salt, dried basil and oregano, and shake it around a little. Place the tray on the top shelf of a pre-heated oven for around 15 minutes.
On the shelf below: tear up the slices of bread onto another baking tray and douse with olive oil, pepper and salt, and shake about a little.
Chop up three carrots and put them in a saucepan to boil.
Fry two onions, the rest of the garlic and the chopped red pepper together in one saucepan in olive oil. After a minute add around 4 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and fry it off.
After around 15 minutes, when the tomatoes have started to darken and crinkle slightly, take them out of the oven and add to the onions, garlic and peppers. Stir in well!
When the carrots are soft, add them to the mix. Shake in plenty of pepper and salt, dried oregano and basil, and most importantly, a generous bunch of fresh basil!
Check the croutons. They might be done. If so, turn the oven off, but leave them in to keep them warm.
Add one tin of chopped tomatoes and one cup of boiling water to the saucepan. Crush in a vegetable stock cube and stir in well so that the flavours mingle.
Bring to the boil, and let it simmer for 5 minutes, giving it the occasional stir. Then add the whole pot of single cream.
Take off the heat and place on a steady surface. Blend the soup together using a food processor.
Take the croutons out of the oven.
Serve with some croutons in the soup, and some by the side for nibbles! J Garnish with a sprig of basil.
Put the Sail Away album on by Randy Newman, and enjoy!!!
