Cream Of Tomato Soup With Fontina Mushroom And Truffle Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Recipes

CREAMY ROASTED TOMATO SOUP WITH GRILLED FONTINA-MUSHROOM SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place tomatoes in a large baking dish and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with the garlic, season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft.
• Heat the remaining olive oil in a medium stock pot over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the roasted tomatoes, garlic, and the juices that have accumulated. Add the stock and fresh thyme and cook for 20 minutes. Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium high heat and cook until reduced by half. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth, strain into a clean saucepan over low heat, add the reduced cream, and cook for 5 minutes.
• For the Grilled Fontina-Mushroom Sandwich: Heat olive oil in a large saute pan, add the mushrooms, and cook until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper, and stir in the sage. Brush the bread on 1 side with the butter. Turn 4 of the slices over on a work surface. Divide the cheese among the slices then divide the mushrooms on top of the cheese. Cover with the remaining 4 slices of bread, butter-side up.
• Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the sandwiches and cook, turning once, until golden, about 2 minutes per side.

CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP WITH FONTINA, MUSHROOM, AND TRUFFLE GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Set a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and once hot, add the onions, carrots and celery to the pan. Sauté the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the carrots are soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste, the tomatoes, and their juices to the pan and stir to incorporate. Continue to cook until the liquid comes to a boil. Add the chicken stock and marjoram to the pan and return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, season with the salt and pepper, and cook until the flavors have married, about 30 minutes.
• Remove the soup from the heat and, using an immersion blender, or in batches in a bar blender, purée the soup until smooth. Return the soup to the heat and add the balsamic vinegar and heavy cream to the soup. Cook for 5 minutes, stir the basil, and serve immediately with the sandwiches.
• Combine the cheeses and set aside. Lay 10 slices of bread out on a clean surface. Carefully fold 2 slices of prosciutto onto the bread, making sure that the prosciutto does not reach over the edge of the bread. Lay between 9 and 12 slices of mushrooms over the prosciutto in 1 layer, and top with ¼ cup of the cheese. Place a piece of bread on top of the sandwich and brush with about 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Heat a grill pan over medium heat and once hot, place 2 sandwiches, olive oil side-down on the grill. Brush the exposed side of the sandwich with another teaspoon or so of olive oil. Use a grill press or another pan to weight the sandwiches. Cook the sandwiches for 2½ to 3 minutes, or until golden brown grill marks have formed and the cheese is beginning to melt. Turn to the other side and cook for another, 2½ to 3 minutes, or until crispy and the cheese is melted. Remove from the grill and cut in half diagonally. Continue to cook the remaining 8 sandwiches in the same manner.
• Serve each sandwich with a cup of the soup.