Creamy Chilled Cantaloupe Soup →

As summer heats up and the fresh produce starts appearing at the farm stands here in the Happy Valley, my thoughts go to light refreshing chilled soups. Sweet and savory, creamy chilled cantaloupe soup is the perfect cool summer soup to serve as a light meal or as a starter for a bigger meal. It's souper-easy and takes less than a half hour to make. Enjoy!

Yield: about 5 cups of soup
Ingredients:

• 6 cups cubed cantaloupe (about ½ a large melon)

• ½ cup crème fraiche

• 2 teaspoons minced jalapeño (more if you want more heat)

• ½ teaspoon salt

• minced red onion and thinly

• sliced cilantro or mint for garnish

Preparation:
1. Add the first four ingredients to a blender and process until smooth.
2. Chill the soup for half an hour or more and serve.
3. Garnish with minced red onion and thinly sliced cilantro or mint.

Asparagus Avocado Soup →

Our soup-Jedi friend in Montreal makes great creamy soups out of her leftover vegetables or salads and herbs. She throws everything into a blender with some broth and crème fraîche and blends until smooth, et voilà! Great soup for lunch! I had some leftover asparagus and avocado that needed to be eaten, so I thought I'd try to imitate Jeannot's magic. After some research, this is what I came up with. C'est fun!

Serves 4-6
Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium shallot chopped roughly

• 2-3 inch piece of jalapeño seeded and chopped (a whole one to “kick it up a notch”)

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

• a small bunch of asparagus

• 3 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)

• 1 avocado peeled, seeded

• 3-4 teaspoons lime juice

• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

• 1/4 cup sour cream or crème fraîche

• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

• You can also reserve several asparagus tops for garnish

• Tomato or finely chopped sweet red pepper can also be used as an optional garnish

Preparation:

1. Rinse asparagus and chop 1-2 inches off base to remove the toughest part of the stalk.

2. Add oil to the pot and sauté the shallot for 2-3 minutes over medium heat: add the jalapeño, cumin, and coriander and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the broth to the pot along with the asparagus, salt, and pepper, and bring to a boil and simmer until the asparagus is fork-tender. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

4. Transfer the asparagus mixture to a free-standing blender and add the avocado and crème fraîche. Puree until smooth.

5. Optional: for extra creaminess, you can also sieve the mixture into a large bowl.

6. Stir in the lime juice and adjust salt and pepper to taste.

7. Serve with your choice of garnish.

*Note: this soup can be served hot or cold and is best eaten in one sitting. Much like guacamole, this soup is best eaten the day you make it.

Wine pairing: Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre, Pinot Grigio, or Chablis are generally recommended.