Easy Tomato Soup

Here is another good reason for having lots of preserved tomatoes on hand:  one jar gives you the basis for a really good, easy-to-make tomato soup.

Put some olive oil in a pot (I was fortunate enough to receive a large cast iron pot for Christmas so I no longer have to make soup in my big fry pan).  Add some crushed garlic and saute until soft.  Add a grated carrot and saute for just long enough to soften the carrot.

Add the jar of tomatoes and 2 -4 cups of broth.  Simmer.  Then add seasonings.  I like to add a cube of frozen basil (I whir it through the food processor in summer, freeze it in icecube trays and then pop the cubes into a bag).

After it has simmered for 15 minutes or so I use an immersion blender to blend it until it is smooth.  If you use dairy it is also nice with a spoonful of sour cream whirled through it.

And there you go, a simple and delicious lunch.

Oh, and I realized that I never posted a picture of the finished French Press slippers, so here they are with their buttons attached.  Now, just six more pairs to go...