Roasted Heirloom Tomato Soup

We made roasted heirloom tomato soup for the first time this August (when we were inundated with lovely, garden-fresh tomatoes) -- and it blew our socks off.

Lucky for us, I made an entire batch in September to stow away in the freezer for later... and what a great idea that was! This delicious soup saved our anniversary!


Soup shown here with a delightful brie, tomato, and avocado sandwich on kalamata olive ciabatta bread.

Maple Brine for Turkey

Since the maple brined turkey is always the highlight of Thanksgiving dinners at our house, I thought I'd share.

Maple Brined Turkey

4 quarts water
2 cups dark brown sugar
1 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup kosher salt
3 heads garlic cloves, unpeeled
6-8 bay leaves
1 cup soy sauce
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups fresh ginger, unpeeled, chopped
2 teaspoons dried chili flakes

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Refrigerate until cold.

To prepare turkey, remove and reserve giblets and neck from turkey. Rinse turkey with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat.

Place turkey in large stockpot. Pour cooled brine over the top. Refrigerate for 24-48 hours, turning bird occasionally.

For a crisp skin, remove bird from brine, pat dry, and place in a roasting pan overnight (uncovered). Roast as usual.

NOTES:
We like Alton Brown's roasting technique (30-40 minutes at 500ºF; then 350º for remaining time).