Le Tourin Gascon a la Tomate (Tomato Soup Gascon-Style)

• 5 to 6 red but firm, ripe tomatoes, about 2 1/4 pounds
• 2 large onions, about 3/4 pound
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled and cut lengthwise into slivers, about 1/4 cup
• 3 sprigs fresh parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt to taste if desired
• Freshly ground pepper to taste
• 5 cups boiling water
• 3 tablespoons Armagnac
• Toast croutons

1. Cut away and discard tomato cores.
2. Cut tomatoes into large cubes.
3. There should be about 5 1/2 cups.
4. Peel onions and cut into thin slices.
5. There should be about 4 cups.
6. Heat oil in kettle and add onions and garlic.
7. Cook, stirring often, until onion rings are wilted.
8. Continue cooking over low heat until very tender but not brown, about 10 to 15 minutes.
9. When they start to stick and brown on bottom, add tomatoes and stir.
10. Meanwhile, tie parsley, thyme and bay leaf into a bundle.
11. Add to tomatoes along with salt and pepper.
12. Add water, bring to the boil and cover.
13. Cook, stirring often from the bottom, about 45 minutes.
14. Remove from heat and put mixture through a food mill, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible from the solids.
15. Press as much of the solids as possible through the food mill.
16. Heat the Armagnac in a small skillet and pour it into the soup.

tomatoes, onions, olive oil, garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaf, salt, freshly ground pepper, boiling water, armagnac, croutons

Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/10105 (may not work)