Cream of Fresh Tomato Soup

slighty adapted from Ina Garten at the Food Network
What a perfect way to continue using the boxes of tomatoes I have ripening up in the basement!  This was perfectly complimented with quick cheese quesadillas, and a green salad. I didn't have time for anything else!

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped red onions (2 onions)
2 carrots, unpeeled and chopped
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
4 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, coarsely chopped (5 large)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 small can tomato paste
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves, plus julienned basil leaves, for garnish (or 1 1/2 T dried)
3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cup fat free half and half
grated cheddar cheese for garnish


Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onions and carrots and saute for about 10 minutes, until very tender. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste, basil, chicken stock, salt, and pepper and stir well. Bring the soup to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes, until the tomatoes are very tender.

Add the cream to the soup and process it through a food mill into a bowl, discarding only the dry pulp that's left. (I didn't discard anything)  Reheat the soup over low heat just until hot and serve with julienned basil leaves and/or croutons, or grated cheddar cheese for garnish.