The comfort food experts

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Here’s a piece of trivia for you: Chapel Hill native James Taylor got his start by playing and singing as a teenager at a local institution, Merritt’s Grill.

In 1929, Ruby and Eben Merritt opened a gas station at the corner of Columbia St. and Purefoy Road in Chapel Hill. People came from all over the area to get gas, car repairs and supplies.

In 1991, Robert and Robin Britt took over the lease.

At first it was a convenience store with a little grill in the back, like many other convenience stores. But with all the development in the area, there was a lot of competition, and business began to fall off.

Then the couple decided to focus on the food and forget the rest.

Thus the one … two … three, third iteration of a charming white stucco, Art Deco building, looking like something out of a Shirley Temple movie.

In this artfully, scruffily, authentic in a way that would only be authentic in Chapel Hill, they serve two classic sandwiches, each made of a short list of ingredients: BLT and grilled cheese with tomato soup.

It’s childhood comfort food the way the Peanuts Christmas Special is Christmas — both a symbol of a nostalgic past.

That’s a heavy load for a couple of sandwiches and some soup.

And so easy to blow.

But the versions served up at Merritt’s that comes wrapped and served in what is probably recycled paper are about as close to the platonic ideal of that soul-restoring repast of childhood as is possible to get.

The sandwich? It was on sourdough whose closest description would be to something like a Pepperidge Farm sourdough. 

The cheese was a couple slices of American, but the real kind of American you get at the deli counter.

I don’t know what type of fat the used on the outside but I’m in favor of something like the merest whisper of mayo.

It was toasted to the palest possible shade of amber. It wasn’t a European dark, with small edges turning black type of toasting, but a little-kids-eat-buttered-noodles-blond-turning-to-caramel level of cook.

The soup was hot and conveyed tomatoes.

I honest to gosh forgot to ask for a recipe, so I persuaded culinary academic The Kid to share their absolutely favorite tomato soup recipe.

Below is my child’s recipe along with a few thoughts I had while reading over the words of this ridiculously wonderful human.

Thanks for your time.

Contact me at dm@bullcity.mom.

 

 

The Kid’s Ultimato Soup

3-ish lbs plum tomatoes

1 yellow onion

4-ish cloves of garlic (Debbie here: I read a quote the other day that is an absolute truth of life and cooking: “Measure vanilla and garlic with your heart.”)

¼ cup olive oil, divided in half. More for drizzling over bowls for service. Break out the tasty stuff for finishing.

Salt and pepper to taste (A little sprinkle of really big, flaky shards of sea salt would be nice at the end, as well.)

1 pack of basil (flat plastic shell pack)

1/3 cup heavy cream

¼ cup Sherry (Madeira also works, but I kind of love the idea of cognac. Makes the whole experience smell and feel cozier.)

1cup veg stock

Preheat your oven to 375º, core and half tomatoes. Lay them out on a foil-lined sheet pan, drizzle with half of the olive oil, and season heavily with salt and pepper. Once your oven is up to temp, roast tomatoes for at least 30 minutes, or until the look kind of shriveled and jammy. You aren’t looking for dried tomatoes, just some good color.

Roughly dice onion, and chop garlic. The soup is getting blended, so no need to break out the good knife skills.

(It is always best to use your “good knife skills.” It’s always beneficial to practice to get better using your knives, but much more importantly, it’s safer to not swing your blade around willy-nilly.) 

Heat heavy bottomed pot (either enamel coated or stainless steel, not aluminum — otherwise, the acid in the tomatoes will react) with remaining oil over medium heat until shimmering. Sauté the onion until translucent, and then add garlic. Cook until fragrant. Season with salt and pepper.

Once garlic and onion have cooked down a bit, deglaze the pan with sherry (or whichever hooch you choose).

Cook until the pan is dry.

Add roasted tomatoes to pot, and top with the vegetable stock. Add basil, reserving a few of the nicest-looking leaves for serving.

Simmer for at least half an hour to an hour, allowing tomatoes to further break down into the soup.

Once the soup has reduced a bit, and your kitchen smells great, remove basil and blend. An immersion blender is easier and cleaner, but a standard blender is totally fine. You want your soup to be totally smooth. (My advice: go buy yourself an immersion blender, hand blender, boat motor, whatever you call it. You’ll thank me the next time you make scrambled eggs.)

Once blended, add cream, and cook for 10 more minutes. Check for seasoning, and add more salt as needed.

Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, and a couple of basil leaves (or sprigs of thyme — just sayin’ and an artful kiss of a sprinkle of that flaky salt I mentioned earlier). Optional, also serve with a grilled cheese for ultimate comfort.