Creamy Roasted Eggplant Soup and Tomato, Cheese Muffins

Ingredients for Roasted Eggplant Soup:

•  2 eggplants, halved lengthwise
•  2 small onions, halved
•  2 carrots, halved
•  2 parsnips, halved
•  4 cloves garlic, peeled
•  2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•  1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
•  4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
•  1/8 tsp. ground coriander
•  1/2 cup heavy cream
•  crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
•  salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for Tomato and Cheese Muffins:

• 6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 4 small green onions, including 1 inch of the
•   tender green portion, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup garbanzo flour
• 3 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 3 oz. shredded cheese ( I used Gouda cheese)
• 2 plum tomatoes, diced

Directions for Roasted Eggplant Soup:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place carrots, parsnips, eggplant, onion and garlic on a baking sheet and brush with oil.
Roast in preheated oven until very tender and brown in spots,35-45 minutes.
Scoop out eggplant pulp and discard skin. Cut carrots and parsnips into chunks. Place vegetables in a large heavy saucepan with thyme and chicken broth. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer until onion is very tender, 30 minutes.



Puree in batches in a food processor or blender. Return to low heat and stir in cream. Bring to a simmer, thinning with more broth, if necessary. Season with coriander, salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with goat cheese and chopped fresh thyme.



Directions for Tomato and Cheese Muffins:
Preheat an oven to 400°F. Grease 10 standard muffin cups with butter or butter-flavored nonstick cooking spray.
In a bowl, stir together the all-purpose and garbanzo flours, baking powder and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter and eggs until blended. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, then pour in the milk mixture and the butter mixture. Stir just until evenly moistened, using no more than 15 to 20 strokes. The batter will be thick and lumpy.



Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling each half full. Place 1 or 2 tomato chunks and chopped green onions on top and gently press into the batter. Cover the green onions and tomato with batter until level with the rim of the cup. Place grated cheese in the center of each filled cup.
Bake until the muffins are golden, dry and springy to the touch, 18 to 22 minutes. Do not over bake. To check the muffins, carefully lift a muffin from the pan; the sides should be browned. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Unmold the muffins. Serve warm or at room temperature.