Tomato Soup with Fried Cheese Curds

For the soup:
Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Quarter tomatoes, remove seeds if preferred. Place tomatoes on a lined cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place garlic cloves on pan, or if using garlic paste, place on top of tomatoes. Drizzle with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place in oven and roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven, and let cool for 10 minutes.

Place all the roasted mixture into food processor or blender. Blend until as chunky as desired.

Place mixture into medium to large sauce pan. Pour in chicken broth, thyme, and red pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cook for 30 minutes before serving.

For the fried cheese curds:
Preheat canola oil to 350ºF in a thick- bottomed skillet (cast iron skillets work perfectly).

Mix together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and pepper, garlic and onion powder. Add beer. Batter should be about the same thickness as pancake batter.

Roll cheese curd in batter. Place in hot oil, cook all sides until golden brown. Using tongs, place on a napkin-lined plate. Repeat until all cheese curds are fried.

Serve with tomato soup. Enjoy!