Tomato Soup

Melt the butter in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns; cover and cook for about 5 minutes.

Do not let the onions color. Add tomato paste and lightly brown the tomato paste. Add the fresh tomatoes, and water if needed.

Simmer over low heat, 30-40 minutes, until the tomatoes and onions are very soft and broken down. Puree through a food mill. If you don’t have a food mill, you may use a blender in batches, or a hand blender until finished, then strain.

Return the mixture to the pot. Add the cream, half-and-half, salt, and white pepper. Bring the creamy tomato soup to a simmer then remove from heat. Allow the tomato bisque soup to cool for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight in the refrigerator.