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1
Place the allspice, fennel, and peppercorns in a medium saucepan over medium heat and toast, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant, about 3 minutes.
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2
Add the squash, vinegar, sugar, and salt and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
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3
Using tongs, transfer the squash to a clean 1-quart jar with a tightfitting lid and top with the pickling liquid.
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4
Let come to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate until ready to use.
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5
The pickles can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.
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6
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until shimmering.
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7
Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
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8
Add the tomatoes and cinnamon sticks and bring to a boil.
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9
Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the tomatoes fall apart, about 20 minutes.
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10
Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks.
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11
Using a blender, puree the soup in batches until smooth, removing the small cap from the blender lid (the pour lid) and covering the space with a kitchen towel (this allows steam to escape and prevents the blender lid from popping off).
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12
Pour the soup into a clean saucepan.
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13
Taste and season with salt as needed.
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14
Keep warm.
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15
Heat the oven to 300 degrees F and arrange a rack in the middle.
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16
Place 2 slices of the bread on a work surface.
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17
Evenly spread half of the cheese on one slice and half on the other.
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18
Season with salt and top with the remaining 2 slices of bread to make 2 sandwiches.
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19
Heat the oil in a large, nonstick, oven-safe frying pan over medium-low heat until shimmering.
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20
Tilt the pan slightly so that the oil coats the bottom.
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21
Add the sandwiches and cook until the bottoms are golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes.
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22
Flip and cook until the other sides are golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes more.
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23
Place the pan in the oven and bake until the cheese has completely melted, about 8 to 10 minutes.
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24
Transfer the sandwiches to serving plates.
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25
Ladle the warm soup into bowls, tear the basil leaves, and sprinkle them on top of the soup.
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26
Serve with the sandwiches and the pickles on the side.