Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

Although it's starting to feel like fall around here, there is still an abundance of delicious tomatoes coming in our CSA share.  One can never have too many fresh garden tomatoes but they were starting to back up on my counter.  Thanks to Sirica and Barefoot, all those lovely cherries and heirlooms became this tasty soup.  I'm excited for the day when Molly will don her apron and scoot a stepstool up to the counter to help.  For now, she just sits atop the kitchen table in her little chair and we chat and tell jokes while I cook.

Ingredients

3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice
4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 quart chicken stock or water

Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes.

In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold.

*A few changes I made - I threw the onions and garlic on the baking sheet to roast in the oven instead of sauteeing on the stove top. I also added in some bell peppers. I used an immersion blender (a GREAT kitchen tool) rather than a food mill. I added goat cheese to each bowl and served with crusty ciabatta. YUM!