Cool Food for Hot Summer Days

Gazpacho with Avocado & Shrimp
Chilled Cream of Squash Soup
Tomatoes, Feta, Kalamata Olives with Fresh Basil Dressing


The other day, I promised to post a summer soup with vegetables and shrimp that I created a couple of years ago for The Christian Science Monitor blog, The Gardener and the Chef. Well, that afternoon I cooked squash and meatloaf and I got carried away and posted those instead. So, here is the cool, refreshing soup recipe along with a two other "cool" recipes. I hope you enjoy them and stay cool.

 

 

Gazpacho with Avocado and Shrimp
 

This soup is not spicy, but light and clean on the palate. Adding fresh corn and cutting the vegetables into small dice gives great texture to this salsa style soup. The avocado and seasoned shrimp add another dimension in flavor.

 

1 teaspoon vegetable oil 

1 cup fresh corn kernels 

1 cup peeled, seeded cucumber, cut into small dice 

¼ cup finely diced mixed green and red bell pepper 

2 tablespoons finely chopped red spring onion 

½ jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped, or to taste
 

2 teaspoons minced garlic 

1 cup peeled, seeded, chopped black tomatoes (heirloom) 

1 ½ cups tomato juice 

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin 

1/8 teaspoon chili powder 

1-2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro, or to taste 

1 lime wedge 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

Salt and pepper to taste  

Garnish:  

4-8 medium shrimp 

Chili powder 

Cumin 

Salt 

1 tablespoon olive oil 

1 large, ripe avocado (chopped, as garnish)  

Sauté the fresh corn in 1 teaspoon of oil in a small skillet over medium heat until corn is tender. Add a dash of salt and pepper. Set aside to cool.

Add the cucumber, bell pepper, onion, jalapeño, garlic, tomatoes, tomato juice, cumin, chili powder, and cilantro together in a large bowl. Add corn. Squeeze the lime wedge into the soup, then add the 1 tablespoon olive oil. At this point, taste and adjust with seasonings if needed. If you need to add more cumin, chili powder, or salt then by all means adjust the recipe to your taste.  Chill for at least 2 hours so that flavors can blend. Just before serving, add chopped avocado to the top of the soup as a garnish. Place seasoned shrimp on top of the avocado. Add a cilantro stem.

Shrimp- Just before serving the soup, make a small mixture of equal parts chili powder and cumin with a dash of salt. Dip the peeled shrimp into the mixture and fry in 1 tablespoon olive oil until pink and cooked through.

 



Cream of Squash Soup

 

2 cups leftover, sautéed summer squash with onions*

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon chicken granules

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup sour cream

Salt and pepper to taste

touch of nutmeg to taste

Sour cream garnish

Thyme flower, or freshly chopped chives for garnish

*If you have leftover squash from the recipe in the last blog, then by all means use that. If you don’t, then sauté squash and onions in olive oil to equal 2 cups. That should be about half the recipe from the previous blog. Make sure that you cook the squash until completely done, otherwise your soup will taste like raw squash.

Place the 2 cups cooked squash mixture into a medium size saucepan. Add the chicken broth, and granules. Cook at a simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until heated completely through. Turn heat to low. Using a hand held emulsifier (or if using a food processor, carefully remove from pan and when pureed, put hot mixture back into pan), puree the squash until smooth. Add the heavy cream and cook on low until heated through. Remove from heat and gently whisk in the sour cream. Serve hot or cold.  To serve, place in a bowl or cup and add a dollop of sour cream and a sprig of thyme with the flower, or freshly chopped chives. Makes about 4 cups.

 

Tomatoes, Feta & Kalamata Olives with Fresh Basil Dressing

 

 

This recipe makes a great party salad, and it’s easy to make ahead. Follow the guidelines below to make a little or a lot. A few years ago, I had to prepare this salad for 50 people, so the day before, I washed the tomatoes, and put them in plastic bags, then into the fridge. I also made the dressing the day before and stored it in a glass jar in the fridge. Directions for assembly are below. You may need to make additional dressing depending on how many people you are serving.

The salad above has 3-4 servings, and I used half of the dressing recipe.

Salad

4-5 grape tomatoes per person, depending on size

 

3-4 (1-inch) blocks of feta cheese per person

 

3-4 Kalamata olives per person

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh Basil Salad Dressing

 

½ cup vegetable oil or olive oil*

½ cup white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a jar and shake until well mixed. Store the dressing in the refrigerator until ready to assemble the salad. Shake vigorously before adding to the salad. * I like to use olive oil, but it will congeal when refrigerated, so I have to remember to take it out in plenty of time for it to become liquid again.

Salad Assembly

Mix the grape tomatoes, feta cheese, and olives together in a large bowl. Add enough of the dressing to moisten the salad well. When ready to serve, place the salad on a large deep platter and garnish with basil leaves.