Tomato soup like no other you have experienced. This recipe is adapted
from a
Spokane, Washington recipe—the original of which calls for about three
buckets of tomatoes, etc. I have utilized the basic ingredients so that
you
can savor the fruits of the harvest.
Source: Best-of-Friends, Etc. Cookbook
36 ripe tomatoes (skins removed and quartered)
1/3 bunch celery with leaves, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
5 medium onions, chopped (If you have a food processor, use it to chop
the
celery, pepper, onions)
1 tablespoon dried parsley
3 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
8-10 whole peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
BUTTER SAUCE:
1/3 pound butter
1/3 cup salt
BROWN SUGAR PASTE:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup flour
Put all of the ingredients in a large kettle.
Cook until celery is soft; then add the Butter Sauce and Brown Sugar Paste.
Mix the sugar and flour together. Add enough of the hot soup to make a
paste,
then stir this into the hot soup and bring to a boil until soup thickens.
If the soup is thicker than you prefer, add a little water-I personally
do
not like it so thick. By adding the red pepper flakes I found the soup
zingier - it can be too sweet, depending on the tomatoes.
Yield: 6-7 quarts, depending on size of tomatoes.
BONUS: Soup may be put in hot jars and processed in hot water bath according
to any canning book directions, 15 minutes at least, or soup can be put
into plastic freezer containers and frozen. It keeps well either way.
Warn partakers of this soup not to bite into a peppercorn, for obvious
reasons.
DO NOT WATERBTH THIS. this must be pressured. 10 Pounds for 30 minutes.