When I was little this was one of my favorite things to eat after a day of playing in the snow. After we moved to Arizona, my standards changed and now any day under 70 degrees works for me. Fresh tomato soup sounds like a pain, but, trust me, it’s easy and well worth the effort.

　　

Ingredients

serves 4

　　2 pounds ripe tomatoes

　　Salt

　　1/4 teaspoon baking soda

　　2 cups milk

　　Pepper

　　2 tablespoons butter plus extra for sandwiches

　　8 slices bread

　　8 slices American cheese

　　

Step 1

Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and carefully drop in the tomatoes. Cook for 1 minute and drain off the water. (Blanching the tomatoes makes them a snap to peel.) Peel the tomatoes and remove and discard the stems. Place the tomatoes in the saucepan and squish them with your hands or smash them with a fork to break them into small pieces. Season with salt and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the tomatoes are soft. Add the baking soda and stir well. Stir in the milk and 2 tablespoons butter and cook for 10 minutes, or until hot. Season with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 2

Heat a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Butter one side of each of the bread slices and place 4 slices in the pan, buttered side down. Place 2 slices of cheese on each piece of bread and top with the remaining bread slices, buttered side up. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown.

　　

Step 3

Place some of the soup in each bowl. Cut the grilled cheese in half and serve alongside the soup.

　　College Cooking