Day 160 - Jamie's Kitchen Australia Epis #2 - Roasted Tomato and Red Pepper Soup w/ Chilled Mint

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One of the pleasant surprise benefits of sharing this on-line travel-recipe journal with those whose paths I've crossed is that people routinely come to me with ideas about things I need to see, places to visit, food to taste ... Occasionally, friends and co-workers bring me food or ingredients, perhaps dreaming some day I may blog their food?

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OK, that's a little dramatic ... they're probably just trying to get rid of leftovers. Nonetheless, I am very grateful for their kind gestures. :)

One of my co-workers offered me some heirloom tomatoes from her garden. Her - "Think you could find something to do with these?" Me - "Sure."

Why not make a little something to eat while watching Jamie's Kitchen - Episode #2. The plot thickens, so to speak ... they've now selected the 15 youths for the kitchen staff. Now the real test: can they cook?

(I can ... so can you ... see below, c/o Epicurious.com) This was just enough to serve Mat and I ... two big, burly guys.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/103708

Ingredients

2 red bell peppers (1 lb), quartered and seeded
4 medium tomatoes (1 lb), halved and cored
1 small onion (1/4 lb), cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
2 large garlic cloves, halved
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint, or to taste

Method:

1 - Preheat broiler.
2 - Toss bell peppers, tomatoes, onion, and garlic with oil and coriander in a large roasting pan and broil about 4 inches from heat until edges of vegetables are charred, about 7 minutes. Stir vegetables, then broil until vegetables are tender, about 3 minutes more.
3 - Purée vegetables with any juices from pan in batches in a blender until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients except mint.
4 - Cool soup, uncovered, 30 minutes, then chill, covered, until cold, at least 2 hours. Just before serving, stir in mint.

Cooks' notes:
• To chill soup quickly, set bowl with soup in a larger bowl of ice and cold water and stir until cold.
• Soup can be made 2 days ahead and kept chilled, covered.