Squash Soup, Hot or Cold

It always seems as if the week goes by so quickly when it comes to updating! However, I am back with a new post and a new recipe that, I found out as the week went on, only gets better with age. With the abundance of zucchini and yellow squash that we had last week, I used it in a few dishes. This particular soup was inspired by one that I was lucky enough to have at Angelica Kitchen recently. It was their special of the day: a squash, corn, and jalapeno bisque, and it was absolutely amazing. While my version did not taste *quite* the same, it still received rave reviews from Frank. And as the week went on and leftovers gathered, it was also very delightful chilled, perfect for the warm, humid weather that we have been having. But before I give you the recipe, I wanted to share with you all a fantastic-sounding event that I will be attending on Wednesday evening. Gena of Choosing Raw is involved in an organization called Beam Green, which aims to spearhead the green movement to reach all the way down to the smallest of children. The group meets once per month at Tavern on the Green, and always has an exciting line-up of speakers and presentations. The invitation was extended to readers/bloggers of Choosing Raw, and I am very excited to be attending. I will report back, don't worry. Please check out Gena's fantastic blog, and also the Beam Green website in the links above. Now for soup!

Squash, Corn, and Jalapeno Soup

2 medium sized summer squash(I used 1 zucchini and 1 goldenrod)

4 ears corn on the cob

2-3 japalenos, depending on your spice preference

2 cloves garlic

2 shallots

1 Tbsp. cumin

1 tbsp olive oil

4 cups water

1/2 Tbsp. white miso

Directions:

Slice corn off of three ears of corn, and set aside. Next, Mince garlic, slice shallots, and peppers. Seed at least one of the jalapenos. Leave seeds in the others depending on how much heat you can tolerate. Heat oil in a medium dutch oven, and add shallots, garlic and peppers. While these are cooking, halve squash lengthwise, and cut into

chunks. Since this soup will be pureed, size does not really matter here.

When the shallots are soft, add in cumin and squash, stirring to coat. Cook for 2 minutes, and add in 4 cups of water and corn, and bring to a simmer, cooking for another 30 minutes. While the vegetables are cooking, cut off the corn from the remaining cob. This will be reserved for later. Your soup will look somewhat like this:

Turn off the heat and allow soup to cool for 10 - 15 minutes. Stir in miso (never place miso into boiling liquid as it kills the beneficial properties of the miso), and blend the soup either with an immersion blender or in a regular blender, taking care to place only small batches of soup in the blender at a time. Transfer into a serving bowl, and add in remaining raw corn. The corn will be crunchy, fresh, and sweet; a nice contrast to the smooth soup. Save some corn for garnish on top.