Smoky chicken salad is a new flavor for me. I love the smell of a campfire. I love smoky spices. It's as if this dish and I were meant for each other. 

How it came to be.

Here's the story. I'm sticking to it. I wandered into a deli.  The smoky chicken salad was on the menu. Of all the chicken salads I've tried before, I've never tried a smoky chicken salad.  If I'm going to mention a few... I couldn't. If you've ever been to the restaurant Chicken Salad Chicks, you may know they have quite a variety of chicken salads. I've tried all but two. My favorite on the menu is the lemon basil. 

Back to the smoke. I stopped by Kitchens Cafe on Harrison St. in Paducah. It's part of the WKCTC campus. More often than not, they'll feature gluten-free items. On this day, they didn't. I started ordering random things. This cold salad was one of the things. 

No ingredients were listed on the packaging. So, I started analyzing my lunch. I began with the easy ingredients like cubed chicken, celery, and pecans. Next, I would taste the sauce, and taste the sauce, and taste the sauce. Based on my tastebuds, love of smoky flavors, and the seasonings readily available in my cabinet.  Viola, the recipe. 

Ingredients: Three chicken breasts (either roasted or poached)
Three celery stalks
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
Sauce:
One cup of mayonnaise
2 tsp. paprika
2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper

When the chicken is cooked, cut into cubes. Next, use celery hearts. Slice in half. Chop. Add to the chicken. Add the pecans. Mix the sauce ingredients together. Fold into the chicken. Time for lunch. 

If you love smoky flavors, a chipotle might be nice in the chicken salad.  I detected no heat in Kitchens Cafe Smoky Chicken Salad. I wanted to try my best to replicate it.   I believe I came very close. 

It's good to have protein-packed granola for any occasion. 

Hurricane Idalia is powering through the Gulf and about to strike Florida. At 2pm CST, the wind pressure was 974 mb and moving at 15 mph. At 5 pm CST, winds were 100 mph and Idalia was a Category 2 storm.  Over the next few hours, the storm's intensity is expected to reach Category three status. As with all hurricanes, folks are hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. 

My friend and Chef Laura hunkered down with her family a few years back as a hurricane approached the Louisiana/Alabama area. She made banana beignets and a few other hurricane-ready foods. The snacks helped during power outages that lasted several days. 

My Aunt Marge shared this recipe with me many years ago. When my kids were younger, I would make it frequently. It's the perfect granola that can be customized. Marge's favorites are in this granola combination. 

On a side note: Prayers are with all those touched by Hurricane Idalia. 

Ingredients:
Four cups of old-fashioned rolled oats
Two cups of shredded coconut
Two cups of sliced almonds
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup of good honey
1 1/2 cups of small, dried apricots
1 cup of small, dried figs
1 cup of dried cherries
1 cup of dried cranberries
1 cup of roasted, unsalted cashews

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss the oats, coconut, and almonds. Whisk the oil and honey and pour over the oats. Spread out onto a baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes. After cooling, add the dried fruit and nuts. 

Questions Answered...

What's the best way to store granola?
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Is it more expensive to make your own granola or buy store-bought?
Pre-made anything right now is very expensive. To have the variety available in this recipe, it would cost twice as much to buy at the store as opposed to making your own. 

Can I use quick oats?
All my research about this question points to 'NO'. When you add liquid to the oats, it tends to make them mushy. Old-fashioned rolled oats are the best. 

Eggplant Parmesan is a favorite among those who enjoy Italian cuisine.
The process is simple. The key is the batter.

The first time I tried eggplant parmesan was at an Italian restaurant in Lexington, KY. We had finished a project, successfully, and were celebrating our victory. I believe it was Rick Pitino's restaurant. Yes. It was! As I'm writing this recipe, everything's coming back. Our significant other was invited to tag along too. It was a 'no holds barred' affair. We dressed for success. Enjoyed endless bottles of wine. A champagne toast. And an entire room to ourselves. Quite the experience. 

I'm sure many of the readers of WKY Community Living have tried eggplant parmesan. On that note, I'm sure many have made eggplant parmesan. If you've experienced sogginess, this is your answer to the soggy bottom. 

The process of eggplant parmesan
Prepare the eggplant as follows: slice the eggplant into 1/4 to 1/2-inch slices. Set on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Let the eggplant slices sit for 10 minutes. Dab away any additional moisture from the eggplant with a paper towel.

Dredging the eggplant is like all other flour, egg, and breadcrumb processes. First, dip eggplant slices into the flour mixture. Next, the egg. Finally, the bread crumbs. 

Eggplant Breading Mixture: If you're using one large eggplant
One cup of flour
Two Tbs. Mrs. Dash Seasoning
One Tbs. of baking powder 
Mix together. This is the first step in dredging. Next, use one egg. This should be ample for this recipe. Coat both sides of the slices in egg. Next, sprinkle your preferred breadcrumb on either side of the eggplant. I like panko. 

You can either bake or fry the eggplant. If you bake it, do so in a 350-degree oven for 25 - 30 minutes. If you fry it, I like to use coconut oil. Fill a sauté pan with 1/4 inch of oil. Check the temperature by flicking a bit of cold water in the oil. If it sizzles, it's ready. Fry on both sides until golden brown. 

For the marinara, use your favorite prepared brand or make your own. It depends on my schedule as to how much time I have available. I love my sauce but I don't always have time. I'll save the marinara for another recipe. Enjoy!

As I bake my way through many of my Grandma's goodies, I realize that most of the recipes for cakes, pies, cookies, canned foods, slaws, Jell-O salads, and more...are unchartered territory for me. Baking techniques, times, and directions can be confusing. Grandma made these recipes so many times she didn't need as much information. Oh well, it's an adventure. 

If I remember correctly, a strawberry cake is one of my middle brother's favorites. Mom made him one when he was a toddler. Now that he's grown...he still makes the occasional request. 

The cake is delicious. It's quick and easy. No mess. A lovely cake. 

Ingredients for the Strawberry Cake:
One box of white cake mix
Four eggs
One cup of Wesson oil
Three T. flour
One cup of diced strawberries
One box of strawberry Jell-O

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease and flour your cake baking pan. You may use a Bundt pan, two round pans, or a 9 x 13. It's your choice. Dice the strawberries and set aside. Add all ingredients to a mixing bowl. Don't over-mix. Fold the strawberries into the batter. Pour into the baking pan. For the Bundt pan, bake for 35 minutes. Check the cake while in the oven with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, it's ready. Let the cake completely cook before spreading the frosting.  

Ingredients for the Frosting/Thick Glaze
One box of powdered sugar
Five T. of softened butter (unsalted)
1/2 cup of diced strawberries
Pinch of kosher salt
T. of milk
Directions: 
Cream the butter and strawberries. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Add T. of milk. Pinch of salt. Mix until there's a good consistency. As mentioned, it's more of a heavy glaze than a buttercream frosting. More butter is needed for a buttercream frosting. Glaze the cake after the cake has cooled. 

Making my way to baking all of Grandma's recipes is one of the sweetest ways to honor her memory. My Aunt Marge said Grandma would be so happy that I enjoyed her cooking. It really was fabulous. The memories of her kitchen are all happy ones. 

I asked my mom why Grandma called this a Pea Pickin' Cake. She didn't have the answer. Mom said Grandma made so many cakes she couldn't keep up. I did some internet searching and found that this cake is very southern. No doubt. It has two names: Pea Pickin' and Pig Pickin'. The Pea Pickin' Cake is more appropriate in this scenario. 

Quick Southern recap of the cake. The name Pig Pickin' originated from pig roasting at barbecues from years gone by. It was called a Pea Pickin' cake in honor of all those ladies who sat at their kitchen tables or on the back porch shelling peas in the summertime. The Ah-ha moment hit me. 

Grandma had a large vegetable garden in her backyard. The white house was small. The backyard garden was huge. That's how it appeared to me as a child. The whole bunch of kids and grandkids loved purple-hulled peas. When visiting Grandma's house in the summertime, we pitched in to help Grandma shell the peas to get to the eating process quicker. Good days. Good times. Great memories. 

Ingredients for the cake:
One box of yellow or white cake mix
15-ounce can of mandarin oranges sliced and drained
1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil
Four eggs
Directions: Oil and flour two round cake pans. Mix the ingredients together. Add even portions of batter to each pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Let it cool down before adding the frosting. See the tip below.

Ingredients for the frosting:
One large tub of Cool Whip
One 20-ounce can of crushed pineapple
One large box of instant vanilla pudding
Directions: Mix and beat together and spread over the cake. Bottom layer first. Then, the top and sides of the cake. 

Wrap the cake and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight. 

Tip: Grandma shared in her recipe that you could make up a box of jello and pour it over the cake while it's still hot, adding more moisture. The cake is already moist. I didn't do it. It's an idea, especially if you don't have time for the cake to sit in the refrigerator for 24-plus hours. The longer it's in the fridge, the more delicious. 

A good friend and wife to my Uncle Danny shared this recipe for cream cheese pinwheels. Actually, I added it to the WKY Community Living website a year or so ago but hadn't made it myself. After tasting the flavors and witnessing the ease of the recipe, it's on my list of favorite pool party snacks. 

Jody and my uncle live in Florida. Oh, how horrible it must be for them. All that sunshine, warm temps, and the ocean. Let's breathe in the air again before saying the word 'ocean'. There aren't many who want to spend all day in the kitchen if your patio view is a white, sandy beach or the deep canals of the Florida waterways. Either way...it's a little slice of paradise. 

The cream cheese pinwheel works for several occasions. One is a quick snack. The most time-consuming part of the recipe is waiting for the cream cheese to soften. This little problem is solved by buying soft cream cheese. For this recipe, I did buy the Philadelphia eight-ounce stick of cheese. I let it sit outside of the refrigerator for an hour before using it in the recipe. 

The veggies were quick and easy to chop.  Rolling up the cream cheese in the tortilla was the most fun. I felt like I was making sushi. As mentioned, making this recipe for snacks is great. However, a meal could be made. Simply add bacon, ham, or any preferred deli meat to the mix and you've got a dinner. 

Jody suggested having your favorite salsa on hand as a dipping sauce. My husband and I really like the medium-hot Arriba Roasted Red Salsa. It's available at Midtown Market in Paducah. I'm sure it's more widely available than I realize. Check it out online. Here we go!

Ingredients:
Four large tortilla-filled pinwheels. For eight tortillas, double the ingredients.
Eight ounces of softened cream cheese
One cup of shredded, sharp cheddar cheese
Four green onions, chopped
Bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
Small can of black olives, chopped and drained
Two-ounce can of green chilis
Large burrito-size tortillas

​Directions: 
After chopping and waiting for the cream cheese to soften, mix all ingredients together. Spread equal portions of the mixture on each burrito-size tortilla. Roll up. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for an hour in the refrigerator. Cut 1/2" to 3/4" slices. A pinwheel design will emerge. Eat by themselves or serve with your favorite salsa. 

As some of you know, I'm taking a trip down memory lane with many of my Grandma Davis' recipes. My aunt is a fabulous cook, like her momma, and kept recipe books that my grandmother wrote. All of her recipes are written in cursive. It's so special because it's in Grandma's handwriting. It's where she put pen to pad. I don't know about you, but I don't receive many handwritten anything anymore. Everything's on the computer. 

This recipe holds memories of Sunday dinner at my Grandma's house on Church St. in Ridgely, TN. None of Grandma's six children stayed in Ridgely; all moved away.  However, all returned home at least once a year, some more often.  

It's the Sunday dinners that are most embedded in my mind. On the Davis side of the family, there were six sets of aunts and uncles along with 14 first cousins. The little white house had three bedrooms, a living room, a dining room, one bathroom, and a kitchen. Needless to say, the house was quite full when the family came to dinner. 

On to the recipe for Grandma's Deviled Eggs.
​
Ingredients: 
Eight eggs boiled
Two Tablespoons of mayonnaise
Two or three teaspoons of lemon juice
One teaspoon of prepared mustard
One teaspoon of Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon of pepper
 
Directions:
After the eggs are boiled, cut long ways. Mix the yolks and remaining ingredients together. Blend well. Add the yolk mixture to the egg whites, two teaspoons per egg half. Grandma says, "They're good!"

Tip for boiling eggs: I use the Martha Stewart method for the perfect boiled eggs. Once the eggs come to a boil, turn the stovetop off and place the lid on the pan. Let the eggs sit in the boiled water for 14 minutes. Rinse with cold water and peel. The boiled eggs are much easier to peel and the eggs are perfectly boiled. 

For adding the prepared yolk mixture, I place it in a plastic baggie, cut off the end, and squeeze the contents into each egg white. 

Trick-or-Treating is a fun time for young and old. Orange pumpkins, children's costumes, and candied apples are all reminiscent of the season. However, nothing reminds me more of the bewitching holiday than popcorn balls.

In today's world, homemade treats on All Hallows Eve are a thing of the past. People with bad intentions spoiled this component of the holiday spirit for everybody. Still, we can make these delicious delicacies for ourselves as well as for family and friends. 

When recreating the memory of my Grandma's kitchen, I can recall her popping the corn on the stovetop. Typically, the grandchildren entered the kitchen when the food was ready. It also applied to receiving popcorn balls.

To me, the incredible thing was how they stayed fresh, chewy, and gooey. I made a recipe a few years back and didn't achieve the same effect. (You can see my post for pink popcorn balls from 2020). I love the idea of adding color. I wanted to try my Grandma's recipe just as she wrote it before tweaking it...as I'll do with all of her recipes. 

Ingredients 

Seven cups of popcorn (one big bag of microwaveable popcorn is equivalent)
It makes about seven nice size popcorn balls
One cup of granulated sugar
1/3 cup of water
1/3 cup of light corn syrup
One teaspoon of sea salt
One teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 stick of unsalted butter

Directions

Melt the water and granulated sugar together on medium heat on the stovetop. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook on medium heat. The simple sugar needs to reach the 'soft-ball' stage. (I had to look this up). The candy thermometer should read 235 degrees. If you don't have a candy thermometer, place a small amount of the syrup in cold water to see if a small ball forms.

I didn't have a candy thermometer so I used a meat thermometer. Also, I tried the water test. It took me about three minutes to get to the 'soft-ball' stage... constantly stirring. 

Once the simple sugar is ready, drizzle over the popcorn. Stir it quickly. The simple sugar is hot. Let it cool to a lukewarm temperature. 

Make the popcorn balls with buttered hands. I had to wash and butter my hands a couple of times during the process. Cool on parchment paper. Store. 

The Mississippi Mud Cake is the first of many recipes I'll publish from my Grandma's cookbook. My Aunt Marge trusted me with its contents while she was in Western Kentucky for a quick visit with my mom...her sister. 

I made copies of EVERY recipe in the book, even her baking tips. In this one little book, there are 70 pages of recipes. Many of the pages have two or three recipes per page. Attempting to bake all of her recipes will take years. 

For my first Grandma recipe, I used my new KitchenAid mixer. I'm almost 60 years old. Yep. And I've had the same egg beater mixer for nearly 40 years. Can you believe it still works? Sometimes it overheats. It hasn't burst into flames yet. It's all good. 

You'll need to check out Pinterest. The WKY Community Living's Pinterest page will feature a new board. It's called Grandma's Recipes. Readers can find recipes from decadent desserts to good old-fashioned tomato ketchup. All at the click of a button. 

Read on for the first very special treat from Grandma's Recipes, Mississippi Mud Cake. 

Ingredients---Directions for the cake: 
Two sticks of butter (room temperature)
Two cups of sugar
Four eggs
1 1/2 cups of flour
One teaspoon of baking powder
Two tablespoons of cocoa
One teaspoon of vanilla
1 1/2 cups of coconut
1 1/2 cups of pecans

Mix all ingredients together and bake in a 9 x 13 pan (lightly greased and floured) at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. While the cake is baking, start on the frosting/ganache. You'll want to pour it on the cake soon after it comes out of the oven---when it's nice and hot. 

Ingredients---Directions for the frosting-ganache:

One seven-ounce jar of marshmallow cream
Four cups of powdered sugar
Three tablespoons of cocoa
1 1/2 sticks of butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup of evaporated milk
One cup of pecans
Mix together. Pour over the cake while hot. Let the cake cool. Cut into squares and serve. 

The Mississippi Mud Cake is a rich, chocolate cake with pecans, coconut, marshmallow cream, and other delicious flavors. It's to die for.

The secret is in the rub. Or maybe it's in the crispy skin achieved by using an air fryer. The air fryer group is at it again. Creating delicious recipes in the blink of an eye. It's that fast. Air fryer cooking has simplified weekday dinners. If you're a busy person or simply don't want to spend much time in the kitchen, you've got to get an air fryer.

The air fryer group started during the pandemic. Everybody was looking for things to do. I don't have to tell you about it. We all lived it. The air frying sensation started around this time. 

I did some googling and found a great article in The New York Times about the air frying boom. A quick recap: The first prototype was introduced in 2010 at an electronics fair in Berlin. After this, all the major companies started producing air fryers. In 2017 is when the 'boom' happened. By 2020, air fryers were in 36% of American homes...during the pandemic.

Back to the crispy, flavorful chicken quarters created by the air fryer. Simply delicious. Phenomenally good. Perfect, quick meal. Let's get to the recipe. 

Ingredients: A chicken quarter per diner...this recipe is for two chicken quarters. I would purchase medium to small quarters so you may fry two at a time. Cook time is about 25 minutes.

Pat your chicken dry. Make sure excess skin and fat are off the chicken. Rub a little EVOO on the chicken. Mix together the seasoning before applying a rub.

Seasoning: 
A teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and paprika
1/2 teaspoon of mustard powder and sage
1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper
Rub all the goodness on each chicken quarter

Fry at 380 degrees for 25 minutes. Stick a thermometer in the chicken between the thigh and the leg. It should read 165 degrees. If not, fry again for another few minutes. 

After taking the chicken out of the fryer, let it rest. You can wrap it in aluminum foil to keep all the juiciness inside the chicken.  Wash the fryer and cook the veggies for 7-10 minutes. Go ahead and melt some garlic butter to toss the veggies in (I like to melt Chef Shamy Garlic Butter). Allow them to just turn golden brown around the edges. No need for salt and pepper. If you want to roast the veggies in the oven at the same time as air frying chicken...roast at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. 

 

The world is better with herbs. Gardening with flowers, vegetables, and fruits takes patience. With herbs, it's free and wild. It doesn't require a lot of finesse. Stick them in a pot. Water. Sunshine. And you have a beautiful, aromatic garden. 

If you live in the suburbs or the city, there's not much space for gardening. It's not like living on a farm. Ingenuity and pre-planning go a long way. How many pots do I  need? Does size matter? What's the best potting soil?  Where's the best place to grow them? So many questions in order to create the perfect outcome. 

I will share my thoughts...

Each herb needs its own pot. In order for plants to reach maximum capacity, buy them the space.

Size does matter. Read on the plant label information pertaining to width and height. Plan accordingly.

Buying cheap potting soil will only bring fungus and unwanted vegetation to your potted herbs. Buy the good stuff. Miracle Grow is always a great choice.  

If you can grow your herbs on the lawn, do so. Create a potted garden on your lawn or make a small herb garden. If you're growing herbs in pots and they grow deep roots, let the plants take root in the soil. They grow like crazy. Extra nutrients and water. 

The best thing about growing herbs, other than the aroma, is eating herbs. They are a fantastic complement to many summer dishes. Herbs are the star of the show when making pesto. Let's get to the recipe, shall we? 

Ingredients:
Cup of Pistachios (lightly-salted)
1 1/2 cups of freshly-picked basil
A whole head of garlic (clip the bottom of the head)
1 1/4 cup of EVOO
Three lemons (juiced)
3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese 
Pinch of red pepper flakes (Grind if you can)
Salt and Pepper to taste
A Tsp. or two of water if needed

Directions:
Roast garlic in aluminum foil whole. Rub a T. of EVOO on the garlic, sprinkle with sea salt, and wrap in aluminum foil. Roast at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Once out of the oven, let it cool. 

To your food processor or blender, add the remaining ingredients. Mix. If the mix is too thick, add the water. Remove garlic from the skin. Add to the mixer. Pulse or mix to incorporate. Taste. Add more of something for your taste buds. Serve. It will keep in the fridge for days or it freezes beautifully. 

Marge's fried green tomatoes are so Southern and so good. Requests for all of her recipes are in much demand on Pinterest, WKY Community Living's website, and by our large family. Even her sweet son, Dr. Bo, wanted the recipe after Marge's recent visit to southeast Tennessee.

Do you ever wonder when is the right time to pick green tomatoes? 

I've often asked myself this question. The answer is simple...whenever you want (or so they say). With that in mind, other Southerners have offered their expertise and opinions on the optimal time to pick green tomatoes for frying. 

Don't pick green tomatoes when they're extremely firm. If you pick them while they're super green, they may lack flavor. Green tomatoes are tangy but not puckered sour.

Take a look at the bottom of the tomato. If you see streaks in two different shades of green jetting out from the location of the old bloom, it may be time to pick tomatoes for frying. 

If the tomato is starting to blush, this could indicate it's time to pick the tomato.

If the tomato starts to turn soft, pick it.

Honestly, your gut will tell you when it's the right time to pick the tomato. Too many options, don't you think? 

I'm sure the recipe is the next question readers want the answer to. Without further adieu, here it is. 

Ingredients:
Four or five medium-sized green tomatoes
Cup of flour
Cup of buttermilk
Cup of cornmeal
tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
Peanut oil for frying
Dash of hot sauce

Directions:
Cut tomatoes into 1/4-inch thick slices. Salt and pepper and leave on a plate to drain for 30 minutes. Have your separate bowls of buttermilk and flour ready for the tomatoes (add a dash of hot sauce to the buttermilk if you like some heat). The cornmeal is in a separate bowl as well. However, add the garlic powder, Cajun seasoning, and more salt and pepper to the cornmeal bowl. Toss it around to mix. 

Heat the peanut oil in a Dutch oven or deep skillet until hot. It should sizzle. Dip each slice of tomato in the flour, shake it, then buttermilk, and finally, the cornmeal bowl with the seasoning. Coat both sides of the tomato. 

Place each slice in the hot oil. It should fry for two to three minutes on each side. It needs to turn golden brown. After frying on both sides, have a paper towel handy and let the fried tomatoes drain. 

You can use the same process with whole okra pods. The only difference is you'll boil the pods first in water, drain them, and then fry them like the tomatoes. 

As always, I appreciate my Aunt's recipes. She was taught by her mom, my grandmother. Let me tell you, my grandma was the best Southern cook ever. Marge is a close second. 

Soup season is around the corner. Sooner than later, pumpkins will be all the rage, and garden tomatoes will be something to look forward to next year. In the meantime, grab as many homegrown goodies as you can carry out the door. Farmer's markets are advertising scratch and dent sales and plans are underway for next year's harvest.  

Though farmer's markets will shut down for the season, all is not lost. Big city markets like Whole Foods will carry fabulous fresh produce. If you live in a small town, hopefully, you'll be lucky enough to have a little market like Paducah's Midtown Market. Midtown supports local growers. They carry specialty items like gluten-free products.  One of the best things about the market is the deli. Guess what, the deli has homemade tomato basil soup every day!

If you're interested in the little market's back story...Midtown Market was formerly Myrick's grocery store. Myrick's was one of the last true 'mom-and-pop' stores in the city. The store was managed by Lester and Charles Myrick. Lester was Charles' uncle and the two ran the store together, side-by-side, for 53 years. 

​This reminds me, Myrick's is a featured business in a book I'm reading by local author Tracey Buchanan, Toward the Corner of Mercy and Piece.  If you haven't ordered a copy of this funny, quirky book, I'd recommend it. The character, Minerva Place is a hoot.

Tomato basil soup is a great recipe to include in your arsenal of good soup recipes. Thanks to my Aunt Marge for sharing. 

Ingredients: 
2 T. olive oil
One purple onion (diced)
Three cloves of garlic (minced)
28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes 
Four cups of chicken stock
Small can of tomato paste
Salt and pepper
T. of Cavendars Greek seasoning
3/4 cup of heavy cream
Handful of chopped fresh basil (dried will work too)
1/4 cup of Parmesan Cheese

Directions:
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven. Add the onion and a dash of kosher salt. Saute until soft. Add the garlic. Simmer until you smell the aroma. Stir in the tomatoes, chicken broth, dash or two of pepper, and Greek seasoning. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste. Puree with an emulsion blender or mixer. Add the heavy cream and basil. Simmer on low for a few minutes. Serve with sprinkled Parmesan cheese on top. 

Recipe for Parmesan Croutons
Ingredients: Serves Six
Six pieces of bread (use what you have on hand) Cut into square chunks
Toss in 3 T. EVOO, tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. dried basil, 1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
Either bake, sauté on the stovetop, or air fry. You're looking for a golden brown color for the right amount of crunch. 

Top your soup with these delicious crunchy morsels.