Punxsutawney Phil, groundhog, was clearly mistaken. While he may not have seen his shadow on Tuesday and predicted an early spring, this morning was 30 degrees and chilly. It’s a good thing you’re adorable, Phil! (Side note: did you know that Phil lives in the town library? And that he has a wife named Phyllis? You can’t make this stuff up.)

But this chilly weather definitely has it’s perks, like being able to make large, fresh batches of soup to eat, share, and freeze! This week’s choice was Ina Garten’s Roasted Tomato Basil Soup. Ina (can I call you Ina, Ina?) has wonderful dishes and her book Back to Basics, is one that I refer to often. Her cooking philosophy calls for simple, seasonal ingredients and always incorporates fresh herbs into her dishes, and this recipe is no exception.

While the cook time for the dish is lengthy, the actual prep time only takes about 15 minutes. Take three pounds of fresh plum tomatoes, slice in half, toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper, and then roast until their skin is browned and crisp. In the meantime, saute onions and garlic with seasonings and fresh basil and thyme, then combine all your ingredients, like chicken stock and extra canned tomatoes, and let everything simmer for 40-45 minutes. I do add a tablespoon of brown sugar at the end, just to add a hint of sweetness, and then use an immersion blender to blend all the ingredients together (but a regular blender or food mill will work just fine). The best part about this dish is that I am able to freeze individual portions and heat them up over the next few weeks, which means that I’m happy, Tyler’s happy, and Phil can keep his day job.