It’s in the air.

This time, I’m not talking about Fall (It’s a hot sticky humid day here in the city!)

Nope. This time I’m talking about Back to school.

That’s right, it’s the time of year for notebooks, paper, pencils and cool backpacks. (And papers and tests and detention boo!)

I’m not just feeling nostalgic. I’m actually heading back to school myself.

And that has me in the mood for a childhood favorite. Something warm and comforting as I face the terror of first day and making sure to pick out the right outfit and not sitting in the front row.

What’s more reminiscent of school days than tomato soup and a grilled cheese?

My parents will tell you that I pretty much subsisted only on grilled cheese during the first years of my life. I liked other foods. I wasn’t a picky eater. I just had a favorite and wanted as much of it as I could get.

There’s nothing like some Kraft singles melted between two pieces of white bread and dunked into a steaming bowl of Campbell’s tomato soup.

But I’m an adult now. So I wanted a more grown up version.

So here’s my take – roasted tomato and poblano soup.

It has the smoky flavor of a tortilla soup but the classic tomato bursts of the bowls we lived on as kids.

This is also a super fast and easy recipe, which makes it perfect for those nights shuttling between school and football practice and play rehearsals.

You will need:

• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 pint cherry heirloom tomatoes (you can also use yellow tomatoes or just 2 pints of regular cherry tomatoes. I like the complexity of flavor the heirlooms give)
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, halved
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper

Cover a cookie sheet in aluminum foil and lay the veggies and the garlic on the cookie sheet.

Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and black pepper. Pop the veggies under the broiler for about 15 to 20 minutes until the skins of the peppers and the tomatoes start to blister. This will give the soup a smoky taste.

Now, you have two options. You can dump everything in a blender or a food processor, add some water or broth and whir it up. Or, you can dump the vegetables in a pot, add some water and hit the mixture with an immersion blender.

The immersion blender’s my favorite kitchen gadget so I went with the latter.

Either way, blend until smooth. If you used a blender, pour the mix into a pot to warm it up and let the falvors bubble together.

Even if you didn’t have to face a pop quiz and an oral presentation today, this soup will calm you after a long day.