Just chill...

Sadly summer is almost over and I really wanted to attempt a chilled soup.  I'm a soup girl.  My grandfather made the best soups with veggies straight from the garden and this wasn't the agricultural mecca of California, it was Peoria, Illinois.  The care he took in creating each batch started my love for soup and it has grown over the years.  In my experience there are few things that can't be worked out over a bowl of soup. Slowly eaten, a bowl of soup provides clarity.

Recently I spent the weekend in Paso Robles, CA.  There is nothing better then sitting on a shaded patio, swapping stories about an epic evening over brunch.  Especially when that brunch is kicked off with a crisp glass of wine and a chilled bowl of watermelon & tomato soup.
Thomas Hill Organics knows what they are doing!

So it's Thursday, and I love Thursdays!  I don't have class tonight and my CSA box was delivered from Farm Fresh To You
(if you decide to sign up, mention my name and I get a free box)

CS f'n A box ~ Ta Dow!

Check it ... both watermelon and tomatoes were in the box! Next step Epicurious (fab go to site for pretty much anything edible) to find a recipe. On the way home from the office I swung by the market with said recipe in hand, grabbed some fresh herbs from my list and scooped up some last minute must haves (flowers & wine).

And I'm home...

My heels are kicked off into the corner, I slipped on a little French Learn-A-Language record (there must've been a booklet that came along with this at one point in time and why can't it be a sexy French siren giving lessons dripping with adventure?  I've got Inspector Clouseau!)  Wine poured.

Fast forward...After finding the blender on the tippy top shelf and almost knocking myself out with a jump & grab move that needs some work and then finding out that my beautiful little melon is not seedless the Frenchman had to go.  Lily Tomlin stand-up is the perfect background for summer cooking!

The nitty gritty (the recipe)

First you need a seedless watermelon.  Do not make due with what you have!  I repeat SEEDLESS watermelon!   Dicing and de-seeding is a pain in the melons! Although the wine and laughing fits make it a little better.

Here goes (click link below)

Tomato Watermelon Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cubed watermelon (about a 2 1/2-pound piece)
• 2 tomatoes (about 1/2 pound), quartered
• 2 tablespoons unsalted almonds, ground
• 1/2 shallot, quartered
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon red wine or sherry vinegar
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoons feta, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon black olives, pitted and chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh mint 

Preparation:

Blend watermelon, tomatoes, almonds, shallot, lemon juice, vinegar and oil in a food processor until smooth. Divide soup among 4 bowls and top with feta, olives and mint.

I tweaked it a tad and I thought it turned out great.

I nixed the olives, replaced the almonds with walnuts, instead of a tablespoon of red wine or sherry vinegar I tipped some Sauvignon Blanc from my glass to the homies (no idea how much that was).  At the finish I doused it with with ground pepper and GENEROUSLY applied the feta then sprinkled on the mint.

It's super thin so it you are looking for something that is going to soak up all the wine you drank while creating this masterpiece, think again. 

Spinach salad and fresh bread would rock this!