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RECIPES
Remember, these soups need time to chill. It is advisable to make a chilled soup the day before you intend to serve it, to give it time to chill thoroughly. You may add a couple of ice cubes to the pot before serving, but don't overdo it.
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VICHYSSOISE (vee-she-swahz. serves 6)
2 bunches leeks (between 6 and 8 leeks total)
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 tablespoons butter
1 onion
1 tablespoon salt (start with less, but it will probably need it)
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 tiny pinch nutmeg
3 cloves garlic
2 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons very finely chopped fresh chives Prepare the leeks: chop off and discard green leaves. Cut off the roots with one inch of the bottom. Peel one layer off, more if the leeks are old. Split the leeks longways, then slice thinly across. Then wash very very carefully, as leeks tend to retain sand and dirt.
In a heavy pot, on a medium fire, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and gently sauté the chopped onion, the garlic, three quarters of the leeks and the potatoes. Stir often, and don't let brown. But don't let things go too slowly either.
When the onion is well wilted, add some water (don't quite cover the vegetables), the salt, the pepper and the nutmeg. Cover with a lid and simmer until all vegetables are very tender.
Separately, gently sauté the remaining leeks in the remaining tablespoon butter.
Purée the contents of the pot with a food processor or an immersion blender. Add the milk and the cream.
When soup is cool, add the sautéed leeks and the chives. Correct seasonings and chill thoroughly.
GAZPACHO (serves 6)
you can skip some of the herbs, of course
1 big can tomato juice (46 fl.oz)
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 mashed garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey, thinned in a little hot water
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 chopped jalapeño pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup ice cubes
2 tablespoons vinegar
juice of 1 lemon or 1 lime
2 cucumbers peeled, seeded and diced
1 red and 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tomato, finely diced
2 shakes Tabasco, or more Mix everything and chill well.
Adjust salt and spice before serving.
Variation: Some cooks like to purée the whole thing. I prefer to compromise, if I wish for a little extra body, and purée just the red onion and the garlic in the juice before adding everyting else.
PEACHY-LOOPY CHILLED SOUP (serves 6)
8 ripe peaches
2 ripe cantaloupes
1 1/2 to 2 cups orange juice
1 cup white wine
juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons honey
pinch cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
pinch white pepper Drop the peaches in a kettle of rapidly boiling water.
When the water starts boiling again, transfer to sink and chill the peaches under running cold water.
Peel the peaches and chop as much flesh as you can away from the pits.
Cut the cantaloupes in half and seed them well. Coarsely remove the flesh with a sturdy soup spoon.
Keep some cantaloupe, maybe 1 cup, which you will dice and reserve.
Purée the rest of the cantaloupe with the peach.
Combine all ingredients, and add the diced cantaloupe.
Serve extremely cold, almost frozen, topped with a mint leaf if you have some around.
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