Thursday, July 23, 2015

Summer Squash Soup




Alliteration works fine with this simply satisfying summer soup. Zucchini abounds in my garden this year. Every morning I am rewarded with numerous splayed yellow blooms, holding the promise of dark green fruit. I pick flowers and vegetables regularly.

My dear dear friend Colleen's birthday is celebrated with lunch and a movie. After much protesting she agrees to let me entertain her. For me, the thrill is in the planning. I ferret through a bunch of recipes hoping she will like the menu. Since she is not a big fan of tongue burning flavors so we grill spicy chorizo sliders. A salad comprises of home-grown pale yellow green beans and bright orange Sun Gold tomatoes, assisted by grilled corn, cucumber and peas. All these sit on a bed of peppery arugula. Colleen has made positive noises about okonomiyaki, so I make these small cabbage, carrot and kale fritters. And to start, a cold zucchini soup.


SUMMER SQUASH SOUP
Makes 5-6 shooters glasses or 2 first course portions
GF(NO BREAD), WF. VG.EF


2 Zucchini
1 teaspoon Olive Oil
2 cloves Garlic
3/4 cup Chicken stock
1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt 
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked Black Pepper
1/4 cup Milk
Sourdough Bread, sliced, toasted and cut into fingers


Wash, trim ends and chop zucchini into small chunks.

Peel and sliver garlic.




Heat olive oil in a saucepan.

Add garlic to flavor oil. Let garlic sizzle for 30 seconds.

Drop zucchini into oil and stir.




Pour stock and seasonings onto zucchini and bring to a boil. Lower heat. Cover and let zucchini cook for 15 minutes. Take off the fire and cool for 10 minutes.




Puree cooked zucchini and stock in  a blender.




Pour puree into a bowl and add milk. Stir to mix. 

Chill in fridge for 3-4 hours or overnight.

Pour into small shooter glasses.




Arrange a finger of toasted sourdough with soup and served chilled. 

Or serve in a bowl as a first course.



NOTES

You could very well serve this soup hot in winter months. Zucchini is available thought out the year.

You can use yellow summer squash. Of course the end result will be a different colored soup.



I plan an alfresco lunch but the blistering heat makes us revert to airconditioning. Soup shooters with chewy sourdough are a light antidote in hot weather. Sliders, salad and slivered cabbage okonomiyaki are loved by Colleen, Keith and Mel. Cooking for Col is a labor of love. Savoring this summer spread sets us in a super mood for sleuthing! 




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