It's difficult to think of a more pleasurable time for eating than summer! The season offers an abundance of fruits and vegetables of every color imaginable, and our plates can follow suit. The vibrant blue-purple blueberry, the cherry reds and intense bright oranges of tomatoes, the sun yellows of sweet corn and summer squashes, and the endless shades of green all explode into view each summer. So capture the visual essence of summer on your plates with the ripest, juiciest most colorful fruits and vegetables you can find!
Sweet corn is one of my favorite summer vegetables—well, actually it’s the only grain that's commonly eaten as a fresh vegetable. The other night at an al fresco dinner party I catered, we served this delicious, velvety smooth soup as a first course.
Chilled Sweet Corn Soup with Avocado-Lime Crème Fraîche
- 12 large ears of yellow corn, husked
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 small sweet onions, chopped (Walla Walla, Vidalia, Maui or Texas Sweet onions)
- 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup half and half
- Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
- Avocado-Lime Crème Fraîche (recipe follows)
Cut corn kernels from cob and set aside. Cut cobs in half and place in a heavy large pot. Add just enough water to cover the cobs, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Remove cobs, reserving water.
In another heavy large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add corn kernels and saute another 5 minutes. Add 3 cups of corn water and the chicken or vegetable broth. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Strain through fine sieve into large bowl. Add half and half. Season with salt and pepper. Chill until cold, at least 4 hours. Serve the soup in chilled bowls with a dollop of Avocado-Lime Crème Fraîche.
Serves 6
Avocado-Lime Crème Fraîche
- 2 ripe avocados, well chilled, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
- 5 tablespoons lime juice
- 8-ounce container crème fraîche
Mash avocado through a fine sieve or ricer. In a blender, combine the avocado and lime juice. Add the crème fraîche, and blend until smooth. Refrigerate several hours to thicken.
Tip: Serve leftover crème fraîche on top of a bowl of blueberries or as an accompaniment to a tropical fresh fruit plate.
Grown in a kaleidoscope of colors, juicy, sweet heirloom tomatoes are the essence of summer! A simple tomato sandwich served with the corn soup makes a delicious, no-hassle meal.
Heirloom Tomato Sandwich
- 2 thick slices of your favorite bread
- Homemade mayonnaise (Best Foods or Hellman’s brand mayonnaise)
- A little kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 to 3 thick slices of your favorite heirloom tomatoes, green, orange and red or yellow varieties
- Several fresh basil leaves
Spread the bread with mayonnaise. Sprinkle salt and pepper on the tomatoes. Place the tomatoes on a sliced of bread and top with basil leaves. Place the other slice of bread on top and enjoy!
Serves 1
