Tomato Basil Soup

4 cups canned whole tomatoes, crushed
3 3/4 cups tomato juice
1/4 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 pound sweet, unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
salt to taste

Combine tomatoes, juice, vegetable stock, and basil in a saucepan.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Puree
in blender (or better yet, one of those handy hand-held food blenders, right in the cooking pan).  Return to saucepan and add cream and butter, while stirring over low heat.  Garnish with basil leaves and serve with your favorite bread.

This soup is easy to make and tastes delicious, especially on cold winter evenings.  Try it and see!