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4 large
English cucumbers
1 tsp ( 5 mL) salt
1/2 red onion
1 ripe avocado
2 tsp ( 10 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp ( 15 mL) sour cream
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Peel
and seed cucumbers. Set aside half of 1 cucumber for garnish.
Coarsely chop remaining cucumber and place in bowl of a food
processor. Add salt and purée until well blended, from 3 to
4 minutes. Stop and scrape down sides occasionally. Strain
cucumber mixture through a sieve into a small bowl. Do not
mash down cucumber pulp as you only want to get clear green
cucumber juice. Refrigerate immediately until cold, at least
4 hours or overnight. |
| |
Grate
remaining cucumber using coarse side of a grater or slice
into small julienne strips. Finely mince onion. Cover and
refrigerate.
As
close to serving time as possible, peel avocado, slice in
half and remove pit. Place avocado in food processor along
with lime juice, sour cream and a pinch of salt. Purée until
smooth. If not using right away, store purée in a tightly
sealed container in the refrigerator but use as soon as possible
as it darkens as it sits. Ladle some cucumber juice into bottom
of chilled soup bowls. Add a generous dollop of avocado purée
to centre of bowl. Sprinkle with onion. Scatter cucumber throughout
broth. |
| |
16 plum or 8 round tomatoes
2 large sweet red peppers
1 onion
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 tbsp ( 15 mL) olive oil
2 cups ( 500 mL) chicken broth
1 tsp ( 5 mL) finely chopped fresh or 1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried
leaf thyme
1/4 tsp ( 1 mL) each of salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup ( 125 mL) light sour cream (optional) |
Place
oven rack at highest level. Preheat oven to 450F (230C). Lightly
oil a large baking sheet with shallow sides, such as a jelly
roll pan. Cut tomatoes in half, lengthwise if plum or crosswise
if round, then seed. Seed and quarter peppers. Peel and cut
onion in half. Place tomatoes skin-side down and peppers skin-side
up in a single layer on oiled baking sheet. Place onion in
corners of pan and whole garlic cloves in centre of pan. Drizzle
with oil.
Roast,
uncovered and without turning, on highest rack of 450F (230C)
oven until vegetables are very soft and edges are browned,
about 25 minutes. Remove from oven. When cool enough to handle,
discard any tomato and pepper skin that will easily pull away.
In a food processor, whirl vegetables until puréed. Add chicken
broth and thyme, salt and pepper. Whirl until mixed. Taste
and add more salt and pinches of sugar, if needed. When ready
to serve, heat until piping hot or refrigerate and serve cold.
Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream. Covered and
refrigerated, soup keeps for 3 days or it can be frozen.
|
| |
8 oz.
Fresh Sorrel
4 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
5 Tbsp. Maple Syrup
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 Tbsp. Corn Starch
|
Puree Sorrel with 2 cups water. Pour into large saucepan.
Add, Salt, Pepper, Maple Syrup, water.
Bring
to vigorous boil for 10 minutes. Simmer, add sour cream, corn
starch, & stir until smooth. Puree again if necessary.
Garnish
with Cheddar Cheese and a Dash of Cayenne Pepper |
