3rd Annual Valentine's Banquet

On Thursday, the youth of Amman International Church celebrated love and marriage by treating their parents to the 3rd annual Valentine's Banquet. This year they cooked and served and entertained to a western theme and I once again helped the youth with the food preparation for the evening.

Our menu was a bit more casual this year, given the western theme and the fact that I had recently returned from the U.S. and just didn't have the gumption I'd had in years past.

From the Chuckwagon:

Green Salad with Ranch Dressing
Texas Toast
~~~
Shepherd's Pie
Corn
~~~
Texas Sheet Cake
Tea or Coffee

The chefs prepare the Texas Toast, made from thickly cut homemade white Artisan Bread

Servers patiently waiting to serve

Served with lovingly made hearts by two of the youth chefs

The most requested recipe of the night:

~Texas Sheet Cake~

Mix in a large bowl:

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 t salt
1 t soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Boil and add to the flour mixture:

1 cup butter
1 cup water
4 T baking cocoa

Pour into a greased jelly roll pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Frosting:

Mix:
1 pound powdered sugar
1 t vanilla

Boil and add to sugar:
1/2 cup butter
6T milk
4 T baking cocoa

As soon as the frosting is mixed, pour and then spread it over the cake. (Tayta's tip: if the frosting doesn't have smooth consistency, whisk in a little extra milk to repair it.)

This is our most used cake recipe ever and has fed dozens (probably hundreds) of youth and others on many occasions. I'd say it is worth purchasing a jelly roll pan (or two) just to make this recipe. I think Tayta can practically make it in her sleep.

Artist Son and Tayta

I've heard rumors that the youth would like to try an Indian theme next year, presenting some musical scenes from Bride and Prejudice...no life without wife!

The Show Must Go On

This Christmas found Oldest Daughter on tour in Asia with Oberlin's Orchestra. We missed her dearly but were glad for the opportunity she had to visit China and Singapore with fellow musicians and friends as they shared their music to full halls wherever they played.

When we caught up with Oldest Daughter in early January, as she made her way to Jordan, arriving just a couple days after we did, the first and most memorable story with which she regaled us was of their concert in Wuhan.

The short video below mostly tells the story, and features sleep-deprived Oldest Daughter and her friend, Holly, as they play in their traveling jeans for a sold-out crowd of 1300, while waiting for their luggage and the rest of the orchestra to arrive. (They are playing Sarasate's Navarra, which they performed together in their junior recital in November. They didn't have their music with them but were able to download it from a borrowed computer.)

Amman Recital~Violin and Piano

Friday, January 28 · 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Union Bank, Main Auditorium (downstairs), Shmeisani

Lauren Manning, violin
Rania Ejeilat, piano

Come hear Schumann Sonata in A minor, Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen, and a few little surprises...

Admission is free

The Hegemony of American Slang

Whenever my kids visit the dentist in Jordan they come back with funny stories about the conversations which the all-woman staff have while they are working on the kids teeth. Here is a guest post from Tayta recounting such a conversation:

Overheard in the Dentist Chair

We went to the dentist yesterday to get our teeth checked, and I was chosen to go first. The dentist, walking into the room with her assistant following, warmly greeted me. They began chatting, and I don’t think they stopped chatting for more than a second or two the entire time they were working on my teeth. As the dentist began the examination/cleaning of my teeth she said delightedly, “Your teeth, they are beautiful! Fantastic!” In the beginning, the conversation was directed towards me in English, but very quickly the dentist and her assistant switched to Arabic, and since I am a foreigner, I was not expected to know any Arabic. Little did they know that I understood the entirety of their amusing conversation.

Dental assistant: "Aw, she seems like such a nice girl, and she has such beautiful teeth! We should have her come some time just so we can spoil her, although, she doesn’t seem like the spoiled type.”

The dentist agreed, and then, changing the subject, she asked her assistant. “So what is this word ‘duh’?”

The dental assistant replied, “’Duh’? Well, it means: ‘Why are you asking? It is so, so obvious!’”

The dentist replied, “Hmm, that’s what I thought. You know, my daughter is saying it all the time now! She says it after every single sentence. Do you know what I told her? I told her,” Mama, why do you keep saying duh? It is not nice! If you keep saying it I’m going to…” (Relatives here have the custom of saying their name before the sentence when they are talking to kids.) After the nurse showed her amusement, the dentist went on,” You know what happened in the car the other day?”

The assistant asked, “What happened?”.

“I was in the car with my daughter and my son--and can you believe it?-- my son does not want to study for his exams! The exams are on the 20^th and he thinks that if he just studies on the 19^th he will have studied plenty. But I told him, “Mama, what will you do when you get older if you don’t get good grades on your exams? He innocently replied that he would have a car business and sell Mercedes and Rangers, but I told him, 'Who do you expect to buy the cars from you if you don’t get good grades on your exams?' And then my daughter said in English,” You guys. Duh!”

The assistant laughed and said with a little bit of surprise in her voice, “She said ‘guys’ too, along with ‘duh’!”

A Big Pot of Comfort~Beef, Barley, and Mushroom Soup

I don't bring many food items from the States to Jordan anymore as more things are available here now and the baggage allowance has been reduced. Two carefully chosen items for transport, barley and dried porcini mushrooms, are needed for this favorite soup recipe and it was one of the first things I made upon our return to Jordan. If you need a good, inexpensive source for dried mushrooms (not to mention lots of dried fruit, nuts, etc.), check out Nuts Online. They offer the best price--by far--that I have found on porcini mushrooms.

This recipe can easily be halved. I like to have lots of leftover soup--we make a dinner of it one or two nights and still have leftovers for lunches.

Beef, Barley, and Mushroom Soup

• 1 1/2 cups dried porcini mushrooms, soaked for 30 minutes in 3 cups hot water.
• oil
• 1 1/2-2 lbs beef, cut into small pieces (I used topside which was already sliced thinly.)
• 4 ribs celery
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 12-16 oz mushrooms, finely chopped (that is how we like them but you could slice them if you'd like)
• 1 1/2 cups barley
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, leaves chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme

In a large pot brown the beef in a bit of oil. Add onions, celery, and carrots and cook until just softened. Add the chopped fresh mushrooms and continue cooking until softened. Blend the dried mushroom mixture in the blender and add to the pot. Add approximately 16 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the barley and seasonings. Cover and let simmer 45-60 minutes. (This soup thickens quite a bit so you may have to add more water as it cooks.--as always with soup, adjust liquid and seasonings.)

The 21st Day of Christmas...(and a great recipe)

Now that I've unpacked the camera and had time to upload pictures, we are enjoying some Christmas memories:

After writing my post about a tree-less Christmas, a dear and thoughtful friend called to ask if she could bring us a live Christmas tree. Sure! Dear husband had to trim off a few branches so that it would fit a borrowed stand and the needles were everywhere, but oh, the scent of fresh pine was lovely! (When making our bed one day I found a tiny bough from the tree, brought to bed by Dear Husband as he was so enjoying the fresh, outdoor scent!) We improvised on decorations: a few of my childhood ornaments we had with us, a package of candy canes, and a Jordanian headscarf.

We gathered as a small extended family on December 26, waiting until our young niece could join us. Mom set a beautiful table and made a delicious dinner. My contribution: the recipe, received from my cyber-friend, Teri. This dish is Delicious and I plan to make it just as soon as I can find some prunes for less than $10 a pound! (who would have that they'd be so expensive here?)

~Mediterranean-Style Chicken with Capers, Plums, and Olives~

(serves 4-6)

Marinade~

• 15 small garlic cloves, whole
• 2T dried oregano
• salt & freshly ground pepper
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 leek white & light green parts only, chopped fine
• ½ cup dried whole pitted apricots
• ¾ cup dried whole pitted plums
• 1/3 cup pitted green olives
• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives
• 1/3 cup capers with some brine

_____________

• 2 3 to 3.5 pound chickens, cut into pieces
• 2T packed brown sugar
• ¾ cup dry red wine such as zinfandel or syrah
• 2 T fresh parsley or cilantro, garnish

Instructions

1. Make marinade in bowl, stir well & place in bag w/ chicken pieces. Turn
and coat evenly. Seal and refrigerate 2-4 hours.

2. Preheat oven to 425. Place chicken in baking pans in single layer. Arrange
marinade ingredients around chicken. In small bowl, blend brown sugar and
wine and pour over chicken.

3. Roast, basting once or twice, 40-45 minutes, til nicely browned and
cooked through.

4. To serve, arrange chicken on platter w/fruit and olives and juices
around. Garnish and serve immediately.

After lunch, we broke into the gingerbread house. The yogurt and chocolate covered pretzel fence went first.

Next came the gift opening. Here is Aunt A. sporting one of Tayta's handknit hats, a popular gift-item this season.



On the day-after-the-day-after Christmas we headed up the mountain for some tube sledding.

Flying into the New Year...

The Long and Winding Road...

...that leads to our (your) door
will never disappear
I've seen that road before
It always leads me here
Lead me to our (your) door

~Paul McCartney

The equilibrium tilt began last Thursday or so, as we packed our suitcases and boxes and prepared, after six plus months in the US, to return home to Jordan. In an ironic twist we said good-bye to Active Son, leaving him in a "foreign" country to continue his studies as we returned home to Jordan, a country where we will always be considered foreigners no matter how long we live here. Such a strange life it seems, particularly during these times of transition between two worlds.

Our journey home began dubiously when our very first flight out of Boise was delayed for six hours due to mechanical difficulties, causing us to miss all our subsequent connections. So much physical and emotional energy had been spent just getting this far that we decided to wait the six hours in the airport. After a couple of hours had passed, Tayta remarked, "You know, it doesn't seem like we are in Boise anymore." Indeed, we had passed into the travel twilight zone. The other delayed passengers became our new friends. Particularly memorable was the young violinist, very reminiscent of our own Oldest Daughter, trying to get to an audition on time. We chuckled at the overheard conversation she was having with her father regarding busking in the airport-- nearly identical to conversations that Dear Husband has had with Oldest Daughter!

It took a whole day of travel energy to make the one hour flight to Salt Lake City, where Delta put us up in the very comfortable Radisson Hotel. The next morning it was onward to Boston where we had our tightest connection: just one hour to deplane, stand in line for new boarding passes for the Air France flight, and have all our bags make it onto the Air France plane. We were the very last people to receive seats on this flight; we headed for security for the third of four times. Served us right as we had our carry-ons over packed. I had even stashed a small book in my coat pocket.

We arrived in Paris to a most pleasant surprise: we had been told we would have to collect our bags, go through customs, and then re-check them onto the Royal Jordanian flight. When our bags didn't show-up on the baggage carousel we assumed that they hadn't made it onto our Air France flight. We went to inquire and were told that they had, in fact, been checked all the way through to Amman via Royal Jordanian! We walked at least a mile in the Charles de Gaulle airport and I can hardly imagine how hard it would have been to negotiate that journey with our nine pieces of checked baggage--even with carts! When we arrived in Amman we expected at least a couple of our bags to be delayed but instead we found them, all nine, collected and piled on carts, ready for us to roll through customs and out of the airport. Amazing!

We had a wonderful first night of sleep in our own beds and enjoyed a full day of energy before jet lag settled in on the second night. Day two and we are forcing ourselves to say awake until 9pm. And even though I was too tired to finish putting away the groceries, I enjoyed making dinner in my own kitchen, for the first time in months. It is good to be home.

Airport/Airline Notables

Kudos to all the airline representatives from Delta, Air France, and Royal Jordanian, who helped us on our journey. Our revised itinerary was fraught was possibilities of missed flights and lost luggage, but all went smoothly thanks their competent assistance.

Most thorough security check: Boise airport. Two of our carry-ons were unpacked and I was subjected to a pat-down search due to a quarter and a tissue I had forgotten in my pants pocket.

Most relaxed security check: Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris. Got to leave our shoes and belts on for this one.

Most comical security check: balls of yarn flowing from a 6 quart stainless steel cooking pot when Tayta's overstuffed carry-on was opened.

Best airport bathrooms: O'Hare airport in Chicago (from our November travels). One pushed button activated an automatic toilet seat cover change and an automatic toilet flush. Pretty spiffy.

Best Cuisine: Air France. Couscous, dried tomato, and smoked salmon salad, anyone? And, the coffee--no comparison.

Most Egalitarian Boarding Proceedures: European airports. No priorty boarding, just open the gate and everyone lines up and gets on the plane. I like it, course, because I am always a second class, economy passenger in the US.

A Weird Age

When we wished her a happy 14th birthday, Tayta commented with her ever present smile , "it's a weird age." At 14 one is not really a child, nor is one considered an adult. And, as the youngest child I suppose that Tayta has witnessed a fair amount of 14-year-old-weirdness in her siblings. She informed me that 15 is also a weird age--16 is moving into normalcy.

Tayta enjoying her weird age

Happy Birthday, Tayta!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...the Fourth of July??

Tayta's meant-to-be-red-and-green-Christmas apron was indicative of the challenge to deck our halls, trim our tree, and bake our usual abundance of Christmas treats this year. Given our just-visiting status and our temporary home, we didn't put up a Christmas tree but instead the kids helped Grandma decorate hers. Tayta designed a two foot by two foot Christmas corner (poinsettia, candy canes, and few ornaments) for our basement apartment--and giving up even that small surface was a sacrifice.

Constrained by space, we had to simplify our baking efforts and so I instructed Tayta that she could make only gingerbread this year--gingerbread men and the pieces for the house that has become a tradition for her and Artist Son to design and make together.

Tayta's Merry Men


2010 Gingerbread House

With everything else that is going on as we transition back to Jordan, it has been nice to simplify the holiday preparations this year. As we celebrate Emmanuel, God with us, with family and friends on this side of the world, we are comforted by the reminder that where God was homeless, we are at home.

Merry Christmas to all!

On-the-Road November

And, in the air: it took us only four four flights to get from Boise to Springfield, Illinois, where we made a 48 hour stop to visit Dear Husband's family, and another two flights to Oberlin where we enjoyed meeting Oldest Daughter's friends, her beloved teacher, and attending her junior recital.

Oldest Daughter, her teacher, and her dear friend, with whom she performed her recital

Returning to Boise, we planned to make a quick turn around (kiss the kids hello, re-pack, sleep, and eat) , and head out the next morning to drive to Bozeman, Montana to spend Thanksgiving with more of Dear Husband's family. We were so very thankful for the loaned Ford Expedition we were driving as we set out in blizzard conditions. Arriving in Idaho Falls, the roads closed behind us and before us and at 0 degrees (or lower) we were grateful for the Shiloh Inn and their special stranded travelers rate: Room for five plus breakfast--$65. I think it must have cost at least half that just to heat our room and water, it was so cold outside.

Dear Husband prepared our stranded traveler dinner: microwave nachos (with real cheddar cheese--not the icky saucy stuff) and I curled up to enjoy Active Son's latest read while the wind howled outdoors. Cozy!

Highway fifteen opened in the morning and we were on our way--much better driving than the day before when we had witnessed over 20 cars off the road.


Active Son and Artist Son get a lesson in shoveling snow from their cousin. He's had lots of experience.

Artist Son zip-lining from the backyard fort to the back of the house

Lots of cousin fun

Thanksgiving feasting

Hanging out by the fire with Grandpa

So much fun sledding! I find the screaming that one must do as one must do as one comes down the hill, especially when one's sled turns backwards, to be exhilarating.




The boys grew tired of "normal" sledding and decided to try some stunts.

This was the first one--pretty tame--just holding their sleds together.

The pyramid looked a little risky, but they made it down without spills. Artist Son's good balance came in handy here.

Next, they tried what I call The Dogsled. The "dogs" ate snow but I think Artist Son had a pretty good time.

A Happy Family Thanksgiving

Autumn

Does the blogosphere really need another amateur photographer's inadequate attempts at capturing the vibrant beauty of fall? Probably not. And yet I've been smitten anew by the exquisiteness of the leaves as they put on an awe-inspiring show of of changing colors. I remarked that I was so enjoying the display of fall color, having it missed the last 15 or so falls while living in the Middle East. Artist Son trumped me: "I've never before experienced the fall colors." We are daily thanking God for the opportunity to experience his artistry in creation during this particular autumn in Boise.








A neighbor friend hired Tayta to rake leaves. He asked her, "What is the going rate for leaf-raking in Jordan, " to which Tayta replied, "I don't know. We don't rake leaves in Jordan."

I couldn't pass up the chance to bring her some hot cider while she raked, completing the autumn moment.

So Happy Together

Our time together was brief--just about 30 hours if you include the time in the car to McCall and back--but our mini family retreat was just perfect. We enjoyed beautiful weather and beautiful scenery as we hiked together, we ate pizza and popcorn, we sipped tea/coffee/hot chocolate by the fire, we watched I Love Lucy, we played Bananagrams, we slept in, and we prayed together and for each other. As we looked into God's Word together, Dear Husband shared yet more wisdom from Psalm 127:

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies at the gate."
~Psalm 127: 3-5

Flowering Jordan 2011 Wall Calendar-or-Calendars for Music

EDIT: My calendars are no longer available on Amazon but I still have about 20 or so, so if you'd like one contact me at desert mom 88 @ gmail. com (leave out spaces). At least for now you can still view the imagines on the Amazon page. Thanks!

I guess this would be the right time of year to mention that my last 50 Flowering Jordan 2011 Wall Calendars are now available for sale at Amazon. If you've read my blog for awhile you know that I enjoy appreciating the beautiful wildflowers of Jordan. I also enjoy taking their portraits, highlighting the unique beauty with which God has adorned each flower.

In the spring I produced my first Flowering Jordan calendar, a project inspired by my desire to raise money for Oldest Daughter's continuing music education. The previous spring, thanks to Tayta, we had Muffins for Music, and this year it is Calendars for Music. What a lovely way to combine three beauties in my life: Jordan flora, music, and Oldest Daughter.


Product Description from my Amazon Page:

The unexpectedly stunning wildflowers of Jordan, from cyclamen to capers, to the enigmatic black iris, bloom on each page of Flowering Jordan's 13 month wall calendar. At the crossroads of three continents, the country of Jordan enjoys great biodiversity, boasting some of the most diverse flora of any place in the world. Although nearly 80 percent of the nation is desert, Jordan has more than 2,500 plant species, including many flowering plants, and several distinct ecosystems.

• The calendar is eligible for free shipping.
• More images from the calendar may be viewed on my Amazon page.
• Jordan residents may purchase calendars from Karis Kraft located near 2nd Circle.

Fashionable Frugality

Since returning to the US in June, Tayta and I have noticed a recession-induced reality: frugality is fashionable. People seem to be thrifting, consigning, and "repurposing" (we called it recycling) like never before--and they are talking, blogging, even bragging about it! I read in a recent article in Time, those who save the most money are now the "popular" ones; says a woman in a neighborhood mom's group, "Saving is like a sport in our group..."

Maybe this is my time to shine. Today I took Active Son to a thrift store by campus to buy him some winter sweaters . In a brief stop we snagged him a beautiful wool sweater from Cabela's and a cotton zip-up from Old Navy for about $4 each. I'm also working on a recycled denim quilt for his dorm room. I've found many clothes for the kids and myself in other around-town thrift and consignment stores and ebay has helped me save lots of money in the new shoe department.

In the spirit of our re-kindled frugality I offer two new hearty lentil recipes which we've embraced. Both are great cold weather comforts. The first is a recipe from my much used, much stained, and much-loved copy of More With Less, by Doris Janzen Longacre. My kids love this dish. Really!


More With Less

Lentil Barley Stew/Casserole (my version)

2-4 Tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
6 cups water
1 cup lentils
1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 cup barley
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon rosemary (or thyme)
1/2 cup grated carrots

Saute celery, onion and garlic until soft. Add water and lentils and cook for 20 minutes. Add tomatoes, barley and seasonings and simmer for 45-60 minutes. Add grated carrots and cook 5 more minutes.

I cut the amount of liquid in the original recipe so it turns out more like a casserole, served on a plate rather than a stew served in a bowl. But, you could increase the tomatoes by a can, add a pinch more salt, and serve it as a stew.

The second recipe, for French Lentil Soup, was found on an advertisement laying around my mom's kitchen. I don't know how authentically French this soup is, given the source of the recipe, but it is very good--thick and hearty. We ate it tonight with quick-under-the-broiler flat bread topped with mozzarella and fresh tomatoes.

French Lentil Soup

1 small onion, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
a little canola oil
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 (or more) teaspoon pepper
6 cups broth
2-3 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1 cup lentils
3 T brown rice
fresh parsley for garnish

Brown onions and garlic in oil. Add chopped carrots and spices and saute a little longer. Add broth, lentils, rice, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for about an hour (mine simmered while I was at the thrift store with Active Son), until lentils and rice are cooked. Puree 1 1/2 cups of the soup and return to the pot of soup. Serve with fresh parsley.

I double both of these recipes as the leftovers make nice lunches.

In Which We Are Vegetable Gardeners

In Jordan we love to grow flowers in our garden, but due to the lack of water and relatively low vegetable prices we've never attempted vegetable gardening. However, the house where we are staying until the end of September has a small but well situated vegetable garden and last week was harvest time. Truthfully, we are not really vegetable gardeners but merely vegetable harvesters. The homeowners planted the crops before they left for Alaska in April and programmed their drip hoses to water without even so much as a flip of the switch by us. We have done nothing but harvest the literal fruit of their labor.

Tayta has never worked in a vegetable garden before and delighted in finding treasures amongst the vines. And although she can identify fig trees, olive trees, and caper bushes, she surprised me by asking me the name of this crop:

Yikes! She didn't know what a corn stalk looked like. Not a popular crop in Jordan, corn is primarily used for feed. It is sold in the supermarket but I don't buy it as it has never tasted like anything but feed corn.

Our bountiful harvest
Enough for us, some friends, and a couple of neighbors

The tomatoes are amazingly large and delicious. I've been eating tomato sandwiches for lunch every day for the past two weeks or so. Family and friends are asking me to discover the secrets of growing such beautiful tomatoes. Theirs, carefully tended, are not amounting to much this year, and "mine"--at least for this month--are plump and plentiful. The real gardener, in absentia, claims his secret is neglect--the bushes haven't been tended since April (!), but I'm prying further. There must be some yet undisclosed tomato gardening knowledge that he can share.

And here are a couple Armenian cucumbers we missed picking the first time around. Salad for a week!

So, what to do with our bumper crop of tomatoes besides make tomato sandwiches? If I weren't feeling so transitional I would make salsa or pizza sauce. Instead, I determined to use these fresh and/or give them away; I've made two new and well received tomato dishes.

~Tuscan Bread Salad~

Last week I made this salad twice, a modification of this recipe from the Food Network.

Ingredients

• 8 large vine ripened tomatoes, cut into large cubes
  
• 8-10 cups cubed artisan bread (I used sourdough), cubed, a little stale, and lightly toasted in the oven.
  
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• a couple cups cucumbers, cut into cubes
  
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  
• 1/2 cup Italian extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 /2-1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped thinly
  
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large bowl, mix the bread with the garlic, oil, and vinegar, and let sit for 15minutes at room temperature. Add the rest of the ingredients toss to combine. Serve. Delicious!

~Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup~

This recipe was easier to make than I expected it would be when I first read the title. Neither the peppers or the tomatoes require peeling and everything is given a final whirl in the blender. I found this recipe in "Cooking With Paula Deen", a magazine which comes to the house in which we are staying. As usual, I've modified the recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
  
• 2 T. olive oil
  
• 1 cup chopped onion
  
• 4 cloves minced garlic
  
• 10 medium tomatoes, chopped
  
• 1 cup chicken broth
  
• 1-2 tsp. salt
  
• 1 /2 fresh basil leaves, or 1 tsp. dried basil
  
• freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 T balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil , arrange pepper strips on the sheet, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until soft and a little brown around the edges. In a large pan, saute the onion and garlic in oil. I add a couple teaspoons of sugar when I saute the onions and garlic so as to caramelize them. Add the tomatoes, broth, and salt, and cook for another 10 minutes or so. Puree tomato mixture, roasted peppers, and basil leaves in a blender. Return to pan and add the balsamic vinegar and freshly ground black pepper.

This soup was good served with open faced broiled cheese sandwiches or toasted sourdough bread.