Fresh Tomato Soup Ala Terri

12 lb Very ripe fresh tomatoes

16 tb Sweet butter

4 tb Olive oil

4 Onion, finely minced

12 tb Flour

16 c Boiling water

4 Bouquet Garni*

Salt & freshly ground -white pepper 24 tb Sour cream

8 tb Finely chopped fresh dill

8 c Cooked rice

4 c Chicken stock

* Bouquet Garni - In a piece of cheesecloth, tie the following: 3 to 4 sprigs of parsley, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 celery stalk with leaves, 1/2 t dry thyme and 1 t fresh marjoram. Leave the string long enough to hang the garni in the pot and tie the string to the pot handle for easy removal. Drop the tomatoes into boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and peel. Chop coarsely and reserve. In a large saucepan, heat 1 T of butter and oil. Add the onion and cook over low heat until lightly browned. Add the remaining butter. When the butter is melted, add the flour and cook until it is golden brown. Be careful not to burn it! Add the chopped tomatoes stirring constantly. Then add the boiling water, Bouquet Garni, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer the soup for 35 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat. Remove the Bouquet. Cool the soup and puree it in the blender. If it seems too thick, thin it out with a little chicken stock or water. Serve the soup in individual bowls, each topped with 1 T sour cream and a sprinkling of dill. Notes: For a hearty soup, omit the sour cream and substitute cooked rice. From "Seasonal Kitchen, a Celebration of Fresh Foods" by Perla Meyers. Typed for you by Terri St. Louis, Kook-Net 1994