Tomato Soup

Melt the butter over medium-low heat and sauté the onion chunks over medium-low for about 20 minutes or until they get some nice color on them. Season with a pinch of kosher salt.  

Add the tomatoes and their juices or puree. Bring the mixture up tto a simmer and reduce the heat to keep a simmer for about 15 more minutes. 

Then transfer the tomatoes and onion to a blender. You can do this in batches if needed. Add the 8-ounces of mascarpone cheese and as much or little fresh basil as you like. 

I blended all but about 1 cup of the tomatoes and onion mixture, then I added the remaining tomatoes and onion and blended again until smooth. 

To keep the soup hot and to dial in the seasoning, pour the blended soup back into the pot. 

Turn the heat to low and taste for seasoning. Add more kosher salt as needed; black pepper too. Stir and cover over low heat.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Get the cast iron skillet going over medium-low heat to preheat while we butter the outsides of each bread slice. 

Place once bread slice, butter side down in the skillet then add as much cheese as you like. I have 1 slice cheddar, 2 slices provolone and a sprinkle of blue cheese, then place the other slice of bread on top, butter side up.

Slide one spatula under the grilled cheese, and place one on top. Then turn the sandwich over. Flip it back and forth a few times to get the browning how you like it. When you go slow and low, you can do this quite effectively. 

Serve with soup and garnish each serving of soup with Calabrian Chili, or olive oil and more fresh basil leaves