Creamy Tomato-Potato Soup

Cooler fall weather always brings about a shift in our cooking habits. We've been enjoying soups and breads, and this soup was perfect for a rainy fall evening. It was good following the recipe, but uplifted to fantastic with the addition of some sage and thyme. This is modified from a recipe in Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World

Creamy Tomato-Potato Soup

3 tbsp olive oil or butter
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced and well rinsed
1 small onion, sliced
3 medium tomatoes, peeled (drained canned are okay)
Approximately 1 pound potatoes, russet or another non-waxy type, peeled and diced
Salt and pepper to taste
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup cream or half and half, plus more as needed
5-6 fresh sage leaves (in bouquet garni)
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme (in bouquet garni)

1. Heat oil or butter in large saucepan over medium-low heat. When hot, add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Do not brown the leeks. Seed tomatoes and chop pulp.

2. Stir in the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add potatoes, salt, pepper, sage, thyme, and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Remove sage and thyme. Using food mill, inversion blender, or regular blender, puree mixture until smooth. If there is more than your blender can handle, work in batches. This is easier if the soup is cooled before blending, but it's not necessary to cool it. Reheat soup. Stir in cream and additional salt and pepper to taste. If the soup is too thick, thin with cream and water.

Bacon and Basil Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

These have been one of the most successful hors d'oeuvres I've made in my relatively brief history of cooking. There are really only two reasons I don't make them more: the short season for tomatoes and the tediousness of coring out tomatoes. I don't have a spoon that is quite small enough, and it's a bit of a chore. They're worth the effort though. I've been contemplating trying out our yellow stuffer tomatoes with the filling as a first course. I think it could be delicious with a little lettuce chopped up along with the basil. This recipe is adapted from The Gourmet Cookbook.

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Bacon and Basil Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes

Makes 14 Hors D'Oeuvres

14 (1-inch-diameter) cherry tomatoes

3/8 tsp salt

1/4 pound bacon

2 Tbsp finely chopped shallots

1/4 cup finely chopped basil

1 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 Tbsp sour cream

Freshly Ground Pepper

Cut 1/8-inch-thick slice from the bottom and top of each tomato with a serrated knife. The bottom slice helps the tomato stand upright. Scoop out pulp and seeds with a small spoon or melon ball cutter. Sprinkle tomato shells with salt and invert on paper towels to drain for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels and cool, then finely crumble.

Stir together bacon, shallots, basil, mayonnaise, sour cream, and pepper in a small bowl until well combined. Divide mixture evenly among tomato shells and arrange in a serving dish.