Claire's Pappa Col Pomodoro (Tomato Bread Soup)

Ingredients
3 Tbsp EVOO
1 small sweet onion thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
2 28-oz cans plum tomatoes with 1 1/2 cans juice (use blanched, peeled roma tomatoes if fresh)
1 loaf crusty country style bread
Sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil leaves

Directions
In a medium stock pot over medium low heat heat the oil and cook the onion and garlic until translucent, 15-20 minutes.  Add tomatoes, increase heat to medium, lightly simmer for one hour.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Remove crust from bread.  Dice bread into large pieces.  Discard the crust.  Dry the bread on a baking sheet in the oven until slightly toasted, 30 minutes.  Add bread to the soup, stirring well to combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and adjust consistency with water if needed.  To serve, ladle soup into warm bowls.  Drizzle each with olive oil and garnish with grated Parmesan and a basil leaf.

Andrea's Garlic Potato Soup

1 Tbsp butter
1 leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and chopped small then washed thoroughly
3 garlic cloves minced
2 whole heads garlic, outer paper removed and top third cut off
6-7 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
Salt & pepper
1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 pound red potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup minced fresh chive

1. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add leeks and cook until soft, not brown, 5-8 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add garlic heads, 6 cups broth, bay leaves, and 3/4 tsp salt.  Partially cover pot and bring to simmer over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer until garlic is very tender when pierced with tip of knife, 30 to 40 minutes.  Add potatoes and continue to simmer partially covered until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Discard bay leaves.  Remove garlic heads from pot and squeeze at root end until cloves slip out of their skins into bowl.  Using fork, mash garlic to smooth paste.

3. Stir cream, thyme, and half of mashed garlic into soup. Heat soup until hot, about 2 minutes.  Taste soup and add remaining garlic paste if desired.

4. Using immersion blender, process soup until creamy, with some potato chunks remaining.  Alternatively, transfer 1 1/2 cups potatoes and 1 cup broth to blender or food processor and process until smooth.  Process more for a thicker consistency.  Return to pot and stir to combine, add more broth if necessary.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Slice and fry garlic chips for garnish if desired.

Sarah's Tomato Soup

Peeled tomatoes
White onion
Garlic
Parsley
Basil
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Cook all ingredients together in olive oil. Cream optional. 

Missy's Brothy Poached Chicken with Mushrooms and Fresh Chile

Ingredients
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large)
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
2 bay leaves
4 whole allspice
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more
8 ounces maitake or shiitake mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces
1 fresh red chile (such as Fresno), thinly sliced
1 1” piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
Sliced scallions and cilantro sprigs (for serving)

Directions
Place chicken, garlic, bay leaves, allspice, and 1½ tsp. salt in a medium pot. Cover with 6 cups water and bring to a bare simmer over high heat. Immediately reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and cook 8 minutes. Remove chicken from liquid and let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces. Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot; discard solids. Add mushrooms, chile, ginger, vinegar, and soy sauce to stock. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until broth tastes rich and flavorful, 8–10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add shredded chicken and simmer just until meat is warmed through. Divide soup among bowls and serve topped with scallions and cilantro. Do Ahead:Chicken can be poached 2 days ahead. Let chicken and broth cool separately. Wrap up chicken and transfer broth to an airtight container; chill.

Anna's Olive Loaf

Yield: 1 loaf

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes + rising time

Ingredients
3 Cups Bread Flour
1 1/2 Cup Kalamata Olives, pitted, drained, roughly chopped
3/4 Teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 Cups cool water

Directions
1) Drain the olives and pat them dry. Roughly chop and make sure that all the olives actually don’t have pits.

2) Mix yeast and flour together in a large bowl and then toss in the chopped olives

3) Add water and mix everything together using your hands or a large spoon.

4) Cover this and let it sit at room temperature for 14-18 hours.

5) Take a large tea towel and sprinkle it liberally with flour and corn meal. If you don’t have corn meal you can just use flour, but corn meal adds a great texture to it.

6) Scrape dough (you’ll need to scrape it) out onto a floured surface and just fold it a few times, liberally flouring both sides if it is sticking. Eventually you want to form a ball or loaf with it. Turn this onto floured towel with the seam side down on the towel.

7) Cover with the towel and let the loaf ferment and proof for another two hours.

8) Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Let a cast iron pot heat in the oven for at least 30 minutes so it is as hot as can be. Don’t preheat the lid in the oven. Just the pot itself.

9) Once the pot is blazing hot, pick up the towel with the dough on it and roll the dough into the pot so the seam side is up again!

10) Put the lid on the pot and cook it for 30 minutes. Then take off the lid (be really careful of escaping steam). Cook it for another 20 minutes or so until the crust is a dark, walnut brown.

11) Let it cool on a wire rack for an hour before slicing it.

Angie's Crabby Creamy Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 potato, chopped

1 lb/bunch asparagus, chopped (but save the pretty heads for a garnish)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

10 cups chicken/vegetable stock

1 cup whipping cream

juice from 1/2 lemon

lump crab meat (claw meat seems to have the least bits of shell)

Directions

Sauté onions, celery, carrots, garlic, potato until soft. Add the chopped asparagus (its a little bit fussier of a vegetable), thyme, and stock. Simmer for ~20 minutes. Puree in blender/with immersion blender. Pour back in pan, stir in the lemon juice and cream. Serve topped with crab and steamed asparagus tops (also delicious toppings: toasted sliced almonds, shaved parmesan, smoked paprika, or a couple extra drops of cream... just to look fancy)