Homespun Tomato Soup (Grandma Benson's tomato soup)

2 C water

5 lbs fresh tomatoes

3 large onions

1 bunch parsley (optional)

1 stalk celery

1 C sugar

2 T salt

1 T pickling spices

Quarter the tomatoes and onions. Tie the spices in a cheese cloth (so they are easy to remove—otherwise the soup is a bit gritty, even after blending). Simmer all of the above for 1.5 – 2 hours. Remove spices and puree in blender.

5 strips of bacon

2 T flour

Dice the bacon and brown it. Stir in the flour. Add bacon/flour mixture to soup and bring to a boil. (You can also puree pre-cooked bacon and flour in the blender too for a totally smooth soup).

Serve with a splash of cream in each bowl. Freezes well.

Hides zucchini and eggplant just great too, just cook it in with the other veggies.