I just received the most incredible birthday present. A tomato of all things. And a monster tomato at that. It weighed in at 2 pounds 3 ounces. I don't believe I have ever seen such a large tomato. And it was suddenly mine to do something with.

This amazing gift came from my dear friend Janet. She has a small patch of vegetables in her back yard. Nothing very big, I think it's just a few tomato plants, a cucumber vine and a couple of green peppers. I am not sure how she grew this thing, I don't think she could tell you either. It must be the generous amounts of compost and the clean water from her rain barrel. She says the plant came from Sullivan's Hardware on Keystone. I don't know. I'm thinking maybe the seeds came from the same source as the magic beans Jack got for his cow.

Well, of course I must do something special with this beauty. Janet included a recipe with it and it did sound good. So with a few modifications I present it to you. And was it delicious! This is what tomato soup should be. Enjoy!

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees. Peel the tomatoes by dipping them into a pot of boiling water for 1 minute, then quickly into cold water to stop the cooking. The skins will slip right off. Core and quarter the tomatoes and place in a roasting pan. Finely mince the garlic cloves (or put through a garlic press) and add to tomatoes. Stir in the 2 tablespoons olive oil and the salt and pepper. When well mixed place roasting pan into the oven and bake for 35 to 45 minutes till tomatoes are soft, stirring a few times.

Heat the second amount of olive oil in a large soup pot. Toss in the onion, sugar and the second amount of salt. Cook, stirring often, till onion is translucent but not quite brown. Add the pepper flakes and the water.

When the tomatoes are soft add them to the pot of onion mixture. Heat to boiling and reduce to a simmer, then cook for another 10 minutes. Divide the tomatoes into 2 or 3 portions and place in blender to smooth out but not puree. You will want a little texture. Or use a stick blender and blend right in the pot. Reheat to a simmer and ladle into 3 soup bowls and garnish with about a tablespoon of whipping cream to each bowl. Add a sprig of basil and serve.