Roasted Eggplant Soup

This soup is a surprise, even to me. Local farm stands closed on Monday and folks fortunate enough to be in the markets at the close of business were gifted with produce that had not been sold. I ended up with four large eggplants that under normal circumstances would have never made it to my table. While we don't hate it, we aren't big eggplant people, so the question became what to do with the eggplant now I had it. I decided to use two of them to make a vegetable stew that I've been wanting to try, but I had to search for newer ways to use the two that still remained. I finally settled on this recipe which uses roasted eggplant and tomatoes to make a bisque-like cream soup that is perfect for a fall evening. I must admit I was really pleased. The soup is easy to make and it has a mild eggplant flavor that is really quite pleasant. Now I must be completely honest with you. I'll never wake up with a craving for this soup, but I'd make it again in a New York minute if I found myself with surplus eggplant. There is some chopping involved and time must be allocated to roast the vegetables, but save for that, the soup is effortless and worth the time it takes to make. I hope you'll try it. The recipe appears below the pictures that follow.

I also have some updated pictures of my grandsons to share with you today. They are growing way too fast as you can see.

Our orphans of the storm have been without power since last Friday. They'll get to celebrate Halloween this Saturday if all downed wires have been cleared.

Joshua on his first bicycle.

Conor with his first pumpkin.

Roasted Eggplant Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Southernfood at About.Com

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds

2 large tomatoes

1 medium onion, cut in 4 wedges

6 medium cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon dried leaf marjoram or basil

1 quart chicken broth

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 cup heavy cream or half-and-half

Salt and pepper, to taste

Fresh chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking pan with foil and brush with a little oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2) Cut each tomato into 4 wedges. Cut eggplant into 4 wedges, lengthwise.

3) In a large food storage bag or bowl, toss tomato wedges, eggplant slices, onion wedges, and garlic with olive oil. Spread the vegetables in the baking pan. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning once or twice, or until the vegetables are tender and browned.

4) Scoop eggplant into a large saucepan; discard peel. Put remaining roasted vegetables in the saucepan along with marjoram or basil, chicken broth, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and cover; simmer for 45 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes.

5) Blend eggplant and chicken broth mixture in 4 batches until pureed. Return pureed mixture to the large saucepan and stir in cream. Heat until it begins to simmer. Add more chicken broth if mixture is too thick. Taste and add salt and pepper. Spoon into bowls and sprinkle with a little chopped parsley, if desired. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.