Corn and Tomato Soup

The mild taste of corn is enhanced by the tangy taste of tomato in this hearty soup.

Cut two pounds of beef into small pieces, put it into a saucepan with three quarts of water, and boil gently at one side of the fire for two hours. Skim the liquor, put in several large tomatoes, and boil them for an hour. When cooked, drain and pass the tomatoes through a fine sieve, and return them to the soup. Boil a few ears of corn in salted water; when cooked, free the corn from the cob and put it in the soup; also put in a small lump of butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Boil the soup again, pour it into a soup tureen, and serve with a plate of sippets of toast or croutons of fried bread.