This Month's Recipe

Melt butter over low heat in a heavy soup pot. Add onions and bay leaf and sauté until onions are translucent. Remove bay leaf. Add flour to mixture and make a light roux. Set aside.

Peel and dice potatoes in one inch pieces. Slice carrots and celery in quarter-inch slices. Cook all in broth until tender. Add corn. Use additional broth or water if more liquid is needed to properly cook vegetables.

Add roux to vegetables and stir until completely combined. Return to burner over very low heat. Add milk, oysters and their liquor. Continue to cook over low heat until oysters are heated and their edges become slightly curled. Add cream, salt, white pepper and cayenne to taste. Continue to heat until cream is heated. Be careful not overheat and curdle soup.

Makes four to six servings.

This is truly a suburb chowder! It goes best when served with French bread and unsalted butter. And remember with only a slight variation in the main ingredient, it can be made into a clam or potato chowder.

Bon Appetit!

Rub a mixing bowl with the halved garlic. Leave the garlic in the bowl. Add tomatoes, cucumbers, green pepper and onion and mix well. Add the olive oil, lemon juice and seasonings. Stir well and chill for at least 4 hours. Before serving, add the chilled tomato juice and mix thoroughly. Top with chopped parsley and a tbsp. of sour cream.

Makes about six servings.

Gazpacho is a summer soup with many variations. The one I’ve given here is the one Paul and I like. The main secret to making all of the varied recipes for this excellent soup is the use of garden fresh vegetables at their peak of ripeness. It is a very refreshing, light meal in the hot summer and it helps you make use of all those vegetables in your garden. Feel free to vary the ingredients to suit whatever is at the peak of ripeness in your garden or available at the farmers’ market.

Bon Appetit!