Farmer's fresh tomato soup

Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

1/4 c + 2 tb extra-virgin olive -oil
2 md Onions coarsely chopped
3 Cloves garlic minced
2 Ribs celery coarsely -chopped
3 lb Plum tomatoes

Instructions:

washed -stemmed coarsely chopped Salt 1 pn Sugar (Optional) 3 Pieces day-old Italian -bread crusts removed 4 c Hot meat broth 1/2 c Fresh basil leaves torn in -strips 2 tb Chopped fresh parsley 2 tb Chopped fresh marjoram 6 sm Fresh marjoram sprigs for -garnish Heat the oil onions garlic and celery in a soup pot over medium- low heat stirring occasionally until golden (about 20 minutes). Add the tomatoes and salt; cook partially covered until the tomatoes are softened about 20 minutes. If necessary add a pinch of sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Put the bread in a small bowl and add 1 cup of hot broth to soften. Mash the bread well with a wooden spoon. Add the softened bread and remaining broth to the tomatoes stirring well to completely dissolve the bread. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Add the herbs during the last 5 minutes of cooking. Pass the soup through the fine blade of a food mill or puree in a food processor and strain. Put the soup back in the soup pot and correct the seasoning. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle into heated soup bowls and pour 1 teaspoon of olive oil over each serving. Garnish with sprigs of fresh marjoram. Serves 6 to 8. [ "We Called It Macaroni"; Nancy Verde Barr; Knopf; ISBN 0-394-55798-0 ] Posted by Fred Peters.