Slow-Food Tomato Soup

(A recipe from a Gourmet Magazine Top 50 Restaurants in the USA—where Nicole's DH works)

I guess this doesn't fit the criteria of quick & easy for the blog, but it's well worth the effort!!!

½ pound bacon, sliced into strips

2 large onions, thinly sliced

1 head garlic, peeled & sliced

1 bunch thyme (fresh)

2 cups Sauvignon Blanc

4 cups chicken broth or stock

3 bay leaves

4 cups pureed tomatoes (I had a garden full, so I pureed fresh without seeding or skinning them in a blender. I assume the chef wouldn't used canned tomatoes)

Place bacon in stockpot and crisp up. (I remove some of the bacon grease, not all)

Add thinly sliced onion and cook with bacon until translucent. Add sliced garlic and cook for 3 minutes.

Add wine and simmer until almost no wine remains (reduce the heck out of it). Add chicken stock, tomatoes, bay leaves, a pinch of salt & pepper.

Reduce by ½, strain out any chunks through a mesh sieve and enjoy with cheesy or crusty bread. (Restaurant serves with 12 year cheddar and a crouton)