Fresh Tomato Soup with Crispy Cheese Toast

Method

1. Remove cores (top hard bits) from tomatoes and cut in half or quarter.

2. Heat butter and olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and anchovy and cook until garlic is sizzling in the hot fat, about 1 min , dont let garlic color.

3. Add tomatoes with juices, salt, and red pepper flakes. Toss with a spoon every few minutes until tomatoes release their liquid and start to break down.Thrown in the basil stalk if available (after leaves chiffonaded for toastie).

4. Once tomatoes have softened and started to collapse, reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have fallen apart and the soup resembles a coarse tomato sauce, about 30-40 minutes. You want the spoon coating consistency.

5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C. Drizzle some olive oil to the base of the bread and some on top.

6. Place bread slices on the prepared baking sheet. Top each slice with sliced basil, then cheddar and then drizzle little oil to finish.

7. Bake until the cheese is well browned and crispy around the edges, 15–20 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.

8. Remove soup from heat and pass through a sieve. Use the back of a soft spatula to push all the tomato mixture through , discard the rest.

9. Transfer the strained soup back into the saucepan over medium-low heat.Check for seasoning; Cook a little longer to thicken if desired, or simply bring back to a simmer and serve immediately with the cheese toasts.