One morning on the snowboard. One afternoon in the ER. One day of vacation shot.
Slopes contraindicated, the boy in the wrist cast melts into despair: How will he fill 24 level hours?
Then rescue arrives. Uncle Hero pulls up in a hybrid, pops the trunk and drags out a rigid plastic panel, almost as long and wide as the car. He announces: “We’re going to blow things up.”
Can the sidelined teen know words any sweeter?
Uncle and nephew work side by side, aiming the rays of the high-altitude sun through the ripples of the enormous plastic lens. Applying the ingenious combination of optical-engineer know-how and fearless-teen bravado, they explode soup cans, incinerate marshmallows, singe cinderblock.
It’s an exhilarating day in the mountains, marveling at the collusion of man and nature, burnt and frozen, exuberance and experience. Followed by the combination of tomato soup and melted-cheese croutons. Ingenious.
Tomato Soup with Melted-Cheese Croutons
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Makes: 4 servings
4 tsp. finely chopped fresh basil
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
Kosher salt
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. each: tomato paste, sugar
2 cans (28 ounces each) whole peeled plum tomatoes in juice, emptied into the blender and reduced to a slurry
2 cups chicken broth
6 Tbsp. heavy cream
4 slices white sandwich bread
Salted butter
2 oz. sharp cheddar, sliced
Toss: Mix together basil, thyme and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Soften: In a large saucepan set over medium heat, melt unsalted butter. Tumble in onion, carrot, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Cook, stirring, until vegetables soften and onions begin to color, about 10 minutes.
Simmer: Stir in tomato paste and sugar. Pour in tomato slurry and chicken broth. When soup begins to bubble, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until flavors meld and soup begins to thicken, 25-30 minutes.
Blend: Turn off heat. Using an immersion blender and caution about spatters (or a standard blender and respect for the “hot fill” line), puree soup smooth. Stir in cream. Cover and keep warm over very low heat.
Melt: Butter both sides of each slice of bread with salted butter. Make two sandwiches, each filled with 1 ounce cheddar. Toast sandwiches in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until outside is golden brown and inside is delightfully melty, about 3 minutes per side.
Serve: Let sandwiches rest 1 minute. Slice away crusts. Cut each sandwich into nine neat croutons. Scoop soup into bowls. Scatter on mixed herbs and melted-cheese croutons. Enjoy right away.
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