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Nothing beats a bowl of nourishing soup and an oven-hot biscuit for a nourishing and economical meal.

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Homemade biscuits go perfectly with a bowl of homemade soup on a chilly November day.

While both are easily purchased from supermarkets and restaurants, many people prefer to prepare both at home from scratch to ensure that all ingredients are healthy and wholesome and preservatives and salt are kept to a minimum.

Whether served for lunch or supper, soup and a biscuit is comfort food at its finest.

It nourishes the whole person, from the first aroma as one leans in to ladle the hot soup to the sight of butter melting into a home-baked biscuit.

Community Cooks is an intermittent feature of This Week.

Readers are invited to request special recipes or to swap their own favourites. Simply send your recipe or request to thisweek@brunswicknews.com.

Here are this week's recipes:

Tomato Soup

Ingredients:
1 14.5 oz can whole tomatoes, undrained 500 g
1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes, undrained 500 g
½ tsp dried basil 2 ml
½ tsp dried oregano 2 ml
¼ tsp freshly ground pepper 1 ml
Oregano sprigs (optional)

Method:
Combine first five ingredients in a blender; process until smooth. Pour into saucepan and bring to a full boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Garnish with oregano sprigs if desired. Yield: four servings of about 1 cup each.

Super 7-Up Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups flour 500 ml
4 tsp baking powder 60 ml
1 tsp salt 5 ml
½ cup shortening 125 ml
¾ cup 7-up 175 ml

Method:
Mix dry ingredients. Cut in shortening till crumbly. Add 7-Up and mix well. Roll out and cut with biscuit cutter. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (205 Celsius) for 10 minutes.

Sour Cream Biscuits

Ingredients:
½ tsp baking powder 2 ml
½ tsp salt 2 ml
1 cup flour 250 ml
¼ tsp baking soda 1 ml
¾ cup sour cream 175 ml
2 tsp vegetable oil 10 ml

Method:
Mix baking powder and salt; add enough flour to make one cup. Combine with baking soda. Add sour cream and oil. Stir just until moist. Turn onto a floured surface. Knead six times. Roll out to ¾ inch thickness. Cut with biscuit cutter; place on greased baking sheet. Lightly spray tops with cooking spray. Bake at 425 Fahrenheit (220 Celsius) for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes four biscuits.

Butternut Squash Soup

This recipe was originally published in The Canadian Living Christmas Book and it remains one of the best squash soups ever.
Ingredients:
6 cups cubed peeled butternut squash 1.5 l
3 ½ cups chicken stock 875 ml
1 ½ cups chopped onions 375 ml
1 bay leaf
½ tsp nutmeg 2 ml
Salt and pepper
1 cup plain yogurt 250 ml

Method:
In large saucepan, combine squash, stock, onions and bay leaf; bring to boil. Cover and reduce heat to low; simmer for about 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove bay leaf. In blender or food processor, puree soup in batches until smooth. Return to pan and reheat if necessary; season with nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Note that soup can be cooked and frozen for up to two months; thaw and reheat. To serve, ladle into soup bowls, swirl 2 tbsp (25 ml) yogurt into each. Makes eight servings, each about ¾ cup (175 ml).