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Two Soups for Summer

I do my best to avoid I-95 on summer weekends, but so far I have been disappointed with my local farm share. No tomatoes, no corn, and almost 80 percent of what it’s offering isn’t part of the fee I pay ahead of time.

So I spent quite a few hours on the interstate last Saturday.

First I went to Scott’s Yankee Farmer in East Lyme. It was my favorite when I lived in Old Lyme, beginning with its luscious June strawberries and July peaches. There I bought half a dozen ears of butter sugar corn (no one grows it better), some beautiful tomatoes (probably from central Connecticut, but that is, to me, pretty local), and some apples.

Those six ears, after four minutes in boiling water and dunked into an ice bath, gave me almost three quarts of sweet kernels, no salt or butter needed.

Then I stopped at White Gate, also in East Lyme. Sadly, it’s only open for a few hours Wednesdays and Saturdays and I was too early. Finally, to Whittle in Mystic. Gorgeous beefsteak and cherry tomatoes, beets for borscht, an orange melon (so luscious it should be dessert), and some dark cherries.

Because summer doesn’t last forever (no kidding, right?), below are two soups. The gazpacho should be served at room temperature or cold, but the fennel and cauliflower can be cold or hot. If you don’t have an Instant Pot, use a good sturdy pot for the fennel and cauliflower soup.

Lee White of Old Lyme has been a food editor and restaurant reviewer for more than 25 years. You can email her at leeawhite@aol.com.

Creamy Fennel and Cauliflower soup

From Rick Kosenski

Ingredients

1 tablespoon coconut oil (although vegetable oil will do)

1 onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 extra-large or 2 medium fennel bulbs, stalks and

fronds removed, chopped

1 pound cauliflower florets (1 head)

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

3 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)

2 teaspoon salt

Black pepper for serving (optional)

Directions:

In your Instant Pot, use “saute” and heat up oil. Sauté onions until translucent. Add garlic, fennel, and cauliflower; sauté for 5 to 10 minutes, until edges of the vegetables begins to turn golden. Pour in broth and coconut milk. Add salt.

Turn the pot onto the “soup” setting (I use “manual” and set the pot to 5 minutes). Use the “quick” release. Use an immersion blender, purée the soup to a smooth, creamy consistency. If you just have a regular blender, let it to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes or so before you purée it. Serve it hot, warm or cold. If you like, garnish with the fennel fronds..

Watermelon Tomato Gazpacho

From Fine Cooking, August/September 2021

Ingredients

2 slices bread, such as sourdough, crust removed, torn (1 cup)

3 tablespoons sherry vinegar

(I use sherry vinegar for most of my recipes)

5 cups cubed watermelon, seeds removed

4 large tomatoes, cored and quartered;

more chopped for garnish

1 medium red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and quartered

1 small red onion, quartered; more for garnish

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon kosher salt (I use sea salt)

Chopped green bell pepper or fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine bread, vinegar, and 1 tablespoon water. Let stand 10 minutes.

Working in batches in a blender, purée watermelon, bread mixture, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, lime juice, olive oil, and salt. Serve immediately or chill up to 2 days. Garnish with chopped tomato, red onion, green bell pepper, and basil, if you like.