Battling the Heat with Food

In winter's chill or summer's heat, a farmer works so you can eat. Sometimes it’s just too darn hot to cook, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the bounty that is popping in your farmers’ fields. This is the time of year when abundance means you don’t have to cook. That’s not to say that you won’t be expending a bit of effort to stay well fed. Trust me, it’s worth it.Despite being a livestock farmer, in sweltering weather I go heavy on the veggies and light on the meats. Even grilling outside holds little appeal. I’ve sizzled enough throughout markets and daily chores to know my meals are going to come out of the fridge until the summer heat breaks.We tend to think of soup being a hearty winter fare, but cool summer soups are refreshing and more importantly, hydrating. The ingredients for these classics abound at the market right now so load up and stay cool in the kitchen this summer. I know many of you out there love to meal prep for the week. Cold soups are easy to make and store in the fridge and even the freezer.Let’s take a look at a few ideas.GazpachoOriginating in the arid regions of Spain and Portugal, traditionally this refreshing soup is made with stale bread, tomato, cucumbers, onion, bell pepper, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, water, and salt. Purists use a mortar and pestle to crush together ingredients, but that can make you break a sweat. I’m perfectly happy with the results of the blender or food processor.My preferred recipe from the New York Times does not use bread although I’ll toss in some stale slices if I have some. Afterall, nothing goes to waste, right? I have also experimented with versions that include seasonal fruits like cantaloupe, watermelon and strawberries. The best part about all these soups is they double as a base for excellent cocktails when you add alcohol.Cool as a CucumberI’m a huge fan of cucumbers and will eat them seven ways until Sunday. Unlike gazpacho, cucumber soups often contain yogurt or cream and no tomatoes. Also referred to as tzatziki, cacık or tarator, this recipe originated in the Ottoman Empire and can be used as a dip or salad dressing. Drizzled over grilled eggplant, yes please.Hint: if you are not using the Persian cucumbers (the smaller ones with soft, tiny seeds), be certain to de-seed them. It’s really easy. After peeling the whole fruit (yes, cucumbers are fruits), cut the cucumber lengthwise. Using a spoon, drag it along the length scooping out the seeds like a snowplow. This will make your soup smoother.VichyssoiseI can’t pronounce it, but I sure like to make at least one batch each summer as the colorful new potatoes hit the market, especially the ones with pink or purple flesh. I save leeks in the bottom of my crisper for just such an occasion or fresh red onions will do the trick.The best recipe I’ve ever seen for this I love because of the directions, as the ingredients and preparation tend to be fairly standard. “Make sure the benders lid is on and lean on the top when you turn on. If not the burn you will get is awful, and a most frequent accident in even professional kitchens,” advised Anthony Bourdain in his recipe for Les Halles Vichyssoise which I use for my base, experimenting with the assorted varieties of the called-for ingredients. I’ve sliced my finger to the bone, got jalapeño in my eyes and survived plenty of oven bites on my forearms, but this was the kitchen accident that sent me running to the dishwasher’s station shrieking in pain while showering myself in cold water. Despite the experience, I love the velvety coolness on this soup on a sweltering summer evening.Beet the HeatOne word: borscht. I’m not going to attribute this cold soup to any one group lest I catch the ire of the customers and vendors who claim this as the dish of their heritage. Big ruby globes, ones with red and white candy strips, some golden and others a wild combo of orange and purple, beets are here and abundant at market. The Pennsylvania Dutch in me demands that beets be pickled with eggs, but every now and then when my Ukrainian pals come to visit during the warmer months I’ll whip up a batch.While this is often a labor of love, with a little planning the ingredients can be kept pre-cooked during cooler temperatures and then assembled to still offer that made-from-scratch flavor. Sour cream is a standard topper, but step it up with a spoonful of crème fraiche.And look on the bright side, before we know it hot soup season will be here again.