Dilled Summer Squash Soup

Total Time: 65 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 chopped celery rib
• 3 peeled and chopped carrots
• 2 ounces (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 1/2 pounds peeled, seeded and chopped yellow crookneck squash or unpeeled, unseeded yellow zucchini
• 1 medium peeled and chopped potato
• 6 cups stock of choice
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or to taste)
• 3/4 cup something sour and dairy (creme frache, sour cream, yoghurt)
  
• Salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. In something that will eventually hold everything; saute onion, celery and carrots in butter until onion is translucent. Add squash, potato and stock to pan. Stir, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
   
2. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender. Return to the pan, add dill, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
   
3. before adding the sour dairy, blend it separately with a few ladles of hot soup, mixing well (this "tempers" the cream, allowing it to blend with the soup smoothly) . Add the tempered cream to the hot soup and mix thoroughly. Adjust seasonings. Alternatively, drizzle cold cream on top of soup at service time. (much preferred!!!!)
   
4. Cool soup to room temperature in an ice water bath, and refrigerate, covered, several hours. Serve in chilled bowls or mugs. (or plan ahead, and make at least 24 hours in advance...this lets the flavors blend, and makes for a better dish. Serve the dairy at the last minute)

Ceviche Verde

For those unfamiliar with a Ceviche, be prepared to consume seafood "cooked" in an unusual way. Remember, cooking is a chemical (usually thermal) process. In this case, an acidic (not thermal) reaction takes place. The seafood is "cooked" (rare, but cooked), however many people will not be comfortable with the method.

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This dish is best assembled several hours in advance to allow the flavors to marry (it's INCREDIBLE on day 2. In fact, just do that. Make this a day in advance. Yeah, you need a seafood purveyor you can trust- but if you don't have that, why are you making this at all?).

The recipe makes enough for four main courses (assuming sides as well), but keeps well for 2-3 days (maybe more if you're really confidant) Adjust accordingly.

Seafood "Marinade"

• 1 pound fresh firm-fleshed fish, squid, scallop, shrimp or other white, firm sea critter
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Chop fish into 1/2" cubes; place in medium bowl. Add kosher salt; toss to coat. Add lime juice; toss to coat, make sure that the lime juice covers the mixture by 1/4-1/2 inch. Marinate until the edges of the cubes begin to turn opaque, tossing occasionally, about 30 minutes (allow at least 45 minutes for this process, as the results vary)

Veggie Base

• 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
• 1/2 cup tomatillos, diced
• 1/4 cup onion, very finely chopped (if using scallions or green onion, increase quantity)
  
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 1-4 jalapeños, stemmed, seeded, and minced (check spice as you go, these peppers vary widely!)
• Some olive oil to emulsify...if you remember (I forgot, and the dish was a little worse for it on day one, but after resting for several hours the avocado made up for the oil and it was AMAZING!)
  

Dice avocados; add to bowl along with tomatillos, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño Add olive oil and season to taste with salt.

• Tostadas or tortilla chips

Serve over tostadas or with tortilla chips for dipping.

• Ingredient info: To ripen avocados more quickly, place them in a sealed paper bag with an apple or a banana for 24 hours.

Pairs nicely with black beans, fried plantains, summer salad, and a cold soup