Fresh Tomato Bisque

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan.

3. Add the onion and toss to coat. Stir over medium heat until the onion is tender.

4. Sprinkle on the flour and continue stirring over medium heat until the mixture foams.

5. Stir in the water and bring to a boil.

6. Measure 3/4 cup of the tomato pieces and set aside. Add the remaining tomato pieces to the boiling mixture.

7. Stir in the brown sugar and cloves.

8. Reduce the heat and cook, uncovered, at a gentle bubble for 30 minutes.

9. Transfer to a food mill and force the mixture through.

10. Return to the saucepan and stir in the reserved tomato pieces.

11. Mix in the salt, pepper, and cream.

12. Gently warm the soup over medium heat, but do not boil.

13. Serve and enjoy!

Menu Suggestions

• Soup and sandwich is a classic combo. Grilled cheese is a favorite with cream of tomato soup. Make a simple grilled cheese of American on rye or regular white bread if you like things minimalist.
• If you tend to be a bit more on the creative side, use two or even three different cheeses; choose from Swiss, cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper jack, blue, provolone, Gruyere, Gouda, Muenster or Havarti. Now, for the bread. Choose from sourdough, sort of a grown-up version of white; multigrain if you feel like assuaging your guilt, or pumpernickel or rye for a tangy taste. Thick slices make for a heartier sandwich and also hold together better.
• With the cream of tomato soup, adding fresh tomato slices to a grilled cheese is a no-brainer. Also, delicious. Other tasty ideas are red onions, slices of avocado, crispy slices of bacon, mushrooms, hamburger dill pickles, black olives, or poblano peppers. 
• This casual meal calls out for a beer. A pale bock lager or amber ale goes great with medium-sharp cheddar, hefeweizen with Monterey Jack, and a dark porter with sharp cheddar. If you are more into wine, zinfandel and syrah/shiraz go great with sandwiches dominated by yellow cheese, but Chardonnay and Riesling make a good pairing with sandwiches made of mostly white cheeses, except sharp white cheddar, which is better with red wine.

Source: Vegetable Cookbook by Judy Gorman, reprinted with permission.