Roasted Tomato Soup

1 1/2 lbs ripe tomatoes or more (you can add eggplants, onions and green peppers too)
salt and pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped and crushed
Handful of basil leaves (half to cook with the tomatoes, and half to sprinkle over the soup before serving)
1 medium potato, chopped into small cubes
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 tsp tomato paste
1/3 cup light cream

Cut the tomatoes in half, and arrange in a 9" x 13" Pyrex baking dish, with cut sides up. Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with olive oil and the crushed garlic.
Top with a few basil leaves dipped in olive oil.
Roast the tomatoes for about 50 minutes to one hour at 375 degrees F, until the edges are slightly blackened.
About 20 minutes before the tomatoes are completely cooked, boil the potato cubes in the 2 cups of water with the tomato paste for about 15 minutes.
When the tomatoes are cooked, cool slightly and then scoop out the insides into a large saucepan. Then add the potato and the cooking liquid to the tomato mixture.
Blend the cooked tomatoes and potato with a stick blender, and then heat gently. Just before you pour the soup into bowls stir in about 1/3 cup of light cream. Add a few basil leaves to garnish just before serving.
This soup freezes very well. It's wonderful to savor the zingy freshness of summer tomatoes in the winter months!