Has anyone missed that the northeast of the U.S. is having a record-breaking heat wave? It has truly been unbearable for the last four days and this kind of heat just takes my appetite away. Peter and I had recently been visiting Patricia Wells's blog and found an intriguing recipe for - believe it or not - avocado sorbet. Now if you're curling up your nose, please don't, this is absolutely sublime. Velvety smooth, ice cold and an incredible complement to chilled tomato soup, just as Patricia said it would be.
We've had this soup and sorbet for dinner two nights in a row and it's been cool, delicious and satisfying - we recommend you try one or both of these recipes before the summer is out. One drawback, that we've seen, to using the sorbet a second or third night is that it's color changes from pale yellow/light green to a light green brown - which, if you know avocados, is exactly what the fruit does once it's opened. A second is that this sorbet freezes harder than other sorbets so serving it a second night requires some patience. The flavor is unaffected and the experience is divine.
P Photo by Peter Tooker; Recipes from Patricia Wells and family archives
Chilled Tomato Soup
( 6 Soup Plate Servings)
1 1/2 - 2 Pounds tomatoes, cored and quartered
1/2 Cup tomato paste
1 Tablespoon celery salt
1 Teaspoon chili powder
2 Tablespoons sherry-wine vinegar
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
20 fresh basil leaves
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Combine all of the ingredients with 1 1/2 cups water in a food processor or blender; purée to a smooth liquid. (If you user a food processor, you may have to do this in batches in order not to over-flow.) Taste for seasoning and adjust according to taste. Refrigerate for 3-6 hours; re-blend before serving.
Add an ice cream scoop of avocado sorbet, and you've gilded the lilly!
1 Ripe avocado, halved, pitted and peeled
1 Cup Greek-style plain whole milk yogurt
1 Teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 Teaspoon mild chili powder
1/8 Teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 Teaspoon honey
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Combine in a food processor or blender. Blend 1-2 minutes - until completely smooth. Taste for seasoning. Chill completely. At serving time, transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. For best results, serve immediately.
Have you got any chilled soup recipes that you'd share?
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