Roasted Tomato Soup with Gruyere Flan

My husband and I took a mini vacation last week...so much fun!  We spent a few days at a fabulous B&B -- Bed and Breakfast on Tiffany Hill in Mills River, NC (about 20 minutes from Asheville, NC).  The Innkeeper, Selena has done a great job with this B&B, it is like being inside Southern Living Magazine!  And she made the best 3 course breakfast!!!

Back to my recipe...while my husband drove, I read cookbooks!!  This recipe is from a new cookbook, Basic to Brilliant, Y'all by Virginia Willis.  After reading this recipe I couldn't wait to get home and make it.  What a  treat to have the Gruyere Flan in the middle of this roasted tomato soup!!

Roasted Tomato Soup
2 (28 oz) cans whole tomatoes, drained, with juices reserved
2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 onion, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Pinch of ground allspice
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup dry red wine

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450.  Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking liner.
Working over a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl and using your fingers, open the whole tomatoes and squeeze as many seeds out as possible, catching the juices in the bowl.  Discard the seeds and reserve the juices.
Spread the tomatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.  Sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar.  Bake until all liquid has evaporated and the tomatoes begin to color, about 30 minutes.  Cool slightly, remove the tomatoes and transfer to a small bowl.
Melt the butter in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, tomato paste, and allspice.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened, 3 to  minutes.  Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until thoroughly combined.  Whisking constantly, gradually add the chicken stock.  Add the reserved tomato juices, wine, and roasted tomatoes; cover and bring to boil.  Decrease the heat to simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup.  Leave it coarse and chunky if you prefer a more rustic soup, or puree until smooth for a more elegant soup. 

Gruyere Flan
Preheat the oven to 350.  Brush six 1-cup ramekins with 2 tablespoons room-temperature butter.  In a blender, combine 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese, 5 large eggs, 3/4 cup whole milk, 2 ounces room-temperature cream cheese, a pinch each of freshly grated nutmeg, ground white pepper, and salt.  Blend until smooth.  Divide the custard among the prepared ramekins, filling each one three-quarters full.  Cover each ramekin with aluminum foil and place in a roasting pan.  Pour enough hot water into the pan to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins.  Bake until just set but still wiggly and slightly soft in the center, 25 to 30 minutes.  Using a metal spatula or tongs, transfer the ramekins to a rack.  Run the blade of a thin metal spatula around the edge of each flan to loosen.  When ready to serve, unmold each flan into the center of a warmed shallow soup bowl.  Ladle the soup around the flan, season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

I hope you will try this soup and enjoy it as much as we did!!  If Santa still needs a idea of what to get you I highly recommend this cookbook!!! Basic to Brilliant, Y'all