Bringing the Outside In.

It's the beginning of the Fall season, and that brings with it two new obsessions for the Booker household. For Kevy, he's got hunting on the brain. Today is the first day of bow season, then it's bird season, then gun season, then shot gun season, then extended something or other, and so on.

For me, it's all about bringing the outside in!

I've got apples and pumpkins on the brain, and whenever we are out and about, I am always on the hunt for bittersweet.

You've got to cut down the vine at just the right time if you want to make wreaths. Everything is much easier to handle before the yellow shells of the berries pop open revealing the pretty red berry inside. In just a couple of days, this wreath will look completely different - tons of red and orange will be showing instead of just this plain little yellow berried bit of boring-ness.

Kevin really just loves bittersweet season, as well. (Not). Whenever we drive anywhere, I'm always peering out the window, and if we come across a patch of the stuff, I'm begging to pull over, have him help me cut it, shove as much of it as I can into the trunk of the car, and then there's little berries all over the place for days. Good times! I tell him the upside of all of this is that I'm a cheap date. My decor is mostly sticks and twigs, berries and bits of the outside. He's a lucky man....

My tomatoes are winding down. I have my last million downstairs in my basement in various stages of ripeness. I've decided to live on my new favorite soup and use up all of those remaining tomatoes in this way...

Our new all time favorite homemade tomato soup. I will never look at the store bought stuff the same. It's a tiny bit of work, but I double the batch to can or freeze for later, so when you get three or four meals out of it, it's definitely worth the work.

Soule-Mama's super delish Carrot-Tomato Soup.

2 Tablespoons butter.
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil.
4 lbs. tomatoes - peeled, and sliced in half with stems removed (To peel, put an x on the bottom of your tomatoes, place them in a pot of hot water for about 30 seconds, and then shock them in a pot of cold water. The stems will come right off)
3/4 teaspoon sea salt.
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper.
fresh sprigs of thyme, oregano, or rosemary - optional but highly recommended.
1 medium yellow onion, diced.
2 stalks celery, diced.
5 medium sized carrots, diced.
3 cloves garlic, minced.
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock.
1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped.
3/4 cup heavy cream - or milk, or half and half.

Place sliced tomatoes on a baking sheet. Cover with most of the olive oil (reserving 2 tablespoons or so), and the salt and pepper. If you'd like a little more flavor, add a sprig or two of oregano or thyme atop the tomatoes. I did the thyme, and it smelled like heaven while they were roasting. Place in a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes to roast.

While they are roasting, melt the butter and remaining olive oil over medium-low heat in a heavy stock pot. Add onion, celery, carrots, and garlic and cook until veggies start to get soft. When the tomatoes are done, add those to the pot along with the chicken stock. Remove the herbs and throw away. Simmer on low until the veggies are all tender.

Puree the soup. I used my blender - just doing it in batches. Return the soup to the pot and onto the stove. Heat slowly. Add the chopped basil and cream.

Oh my. It may look a little iffy, but it's amazing.
Happy Fall!