Chef John Ash

“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language” (from Henry James) 

“When one has tasted watermelon, he knows what the angels eat” (from Mark Twain). 

 “Oh when I look back now / That summer seemed to last forever / And if I had the choice / Yeah, I’d always wanna be there / Those were the best days of my life…” (from Bryan Adams song in Summer of ’69)

“In summer, the song sings itself” (from William Carlos Williams)

All these sum up my feelings about summer and its foods. We naturally crave foods that reflect the season that we are in.  When you think of summer you think of bright colors, intoxicating aromas, fresh ripe flavors and simple cooking without turning on the oven.  A visit to your local Farmers Market adds inspiration.  How can you miss? 

Chilled soups are one of my favorite things to make in summer using what’s available.  There are so many delicious variations.  I’m including a few of my favorites but don’t let these stop you from creating your own using whatever is plentiful in your area.

CHILLED HEIRLOOM TOMATO SOUP WITH SUMMER RELISH

Serves 6 – 8

Unfortunately, regular hothouse tomatoes don’t work in this recipe.  Wait until you can get great heirloom tomatoes and select the most flavorful, vine-ripened ones you can find.  I’d try to use tomatoes of the same color but if you want to be fancy, you could separately do reds and yellows and with two ladles simultaneously pour them into chilled soup plates to create a “yin – yang” effect.  For variety I sometimes will add up to a cup or so of freshly juiced cucumber, sweet red bell pepper or carrot to the soup mixture.

4 pounds coarsely chopped ripe tomatoes

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (or to taste)

Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

Summer Relish (recipe follows)

Garnish:  Sliced avocado fans, yogurt or crème fraiche (recipe follows) and basil oil (recipe follows)

Using a food mill, puree the tomatoes — a food mill is preferred.  In using the food mill, move from the coarsest to the finest blade, depending on the texture you desire. Discard the skins and seeds. If you don’t have a food mill you can also use a food processor to puree.  Strain pureed tomatoes through a medium mesh strainer, pushing down on the solids with a rubber spatula to capture seeds and skin.  Season to your taste with vinegar, salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate until very cold.

To serve, ladle soup into chilled soup bowls.  Place 1 or 2 tablespoons of the Summer Relish in the center and garnish with sliced avocado fans, a dollop of yogurt or crème fraiche and a drizzle of basil oil around.

Summer Relish

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup diced red onion

3 tablespoons diced red bell pepper              

1/4 cup seeded and diced cucumber (lemon cucumber preferred)

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

In a bowl gently combine the relish ingredients. Correct the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Basil oil

Any fresh leafy herb or combination can be used such as mint, chives, cilantro, parsley, shiso, etc.

2 cloves garlic, peeled

3 cups packed herbs; large stems discarded

2 cups or so cups olive or canola oil

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Add garlic to a deep saucepan with lightly salted boiling water and boil for 1 minute.  Add herbs and stir until they turn a bright green (about 5 seconds).

Drain and plunge immediately into ice water to stop the cooking and set the color.  This blanching step inactivates the enzymes which causes the herb to turn brown and develop an oxidized flavor.

Squeeze herbs as dry as you can and add to a blender along with garlic and enough

oil to cover by at least 2 inches. Puree till smooth.  Strain thru a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth.  I let it drain slowly for an hour or so. Oil should be a very bright green and fragrant.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and store covered in refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Making Crème Fraiche:

Lots of recipes call for crème fraiche which is similar to sour cream but smoother and richer.  In France, where it originates, its body comes from the natural bacteria in unpasteurized cream.  In America, however this is nearly impossible for us to get unless you milk your own animals so we can make a good approximation with the following simple recipe.  Crème Fraiche is great for cooking because of its rich flavor and stability – – it won’t break when heated, unlike sour cream.

1 cup heavy cream, preferably natural and not “ultra” pasteurized or processed

2 tablespoons cultured buttermilk

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Stir all together, cover and let sit at room temperature for 6 – 8 hours or until very thick.  Refrigerate covered for up to 5 days.

All of the recipes are here – https://chefjohnash.substack.com/p/cold-soups

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