Pure Cream of Tomato Soup

Based on a recipe from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

5 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup chopped Synergy Stuttgarter onion
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups whole milk (or any combination of lowfat, whole, and cream)
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups fresh, or canned Synergy tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp tomato paste

Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring, until the onion is softened but not browned.

Sprinkle the flour over the butter mixture and continue to stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, bay leaf, sugar, and salt and continue to cook and stir until slightly thickened. Stir the baking soda into the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste to the milk, and bring just to a simmer.

Remove from the heat and put in a blender. Puree until smooth then put back in the soup pot and over medium-low heat.

Bring to a very gentle simmer and taste and correct seasonings. Let simmer till soup has reached desired thickness and intensity of flavor.

Serve hot or cold with a generous sprinkle of fresh ground black pepper.

Though the farms tomato plants are only about two feet tall with tiny green tomatoes at the beginning of June, we are able to enjoy a pure cream of tomato soup since we froze some of the prior years harvest in mason jars!