Red and green aren't just for Christmas

This is the recipe for you if your garden took over the backyard with tomatoes and basil. Not that I have a garden, but we are growing basil and I found tomatoes on sale. Anyway, I made it for dinner last night and it was the best tomato soup I've ever had. The kids didn't like it because it is a bit spicy. So, omit the red pepper flakes if you don't want spiciness. Also, I don't have a food mill (and my new, tiny kitchen will not accommodate any new gadgets . . . I'm working through being really depressed about that), so I put it all in a blender, and then I strained it through a sieve. This recipe makes a very large batch, so I am freezing some for another meal. Thanks, Barefoot Contessa!

Roasted Tomato Soup

3 pounds ripe tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons 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

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 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.