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Zucchini Vichyssoise

                This delicious cold soup is adapted from Ina Garten’s “Barefoot in Paris” (2004). To build this soup I used organic zucchini, potatoes, spring onions, and banana peppers from the organic farmers market in Evanston, IL, and fresh herbs from my herb garden.

                1              tablespoon unsalted butter

                1              tablespoon olive oil

    4              white skinned potatoes, skins on, chopped

                6              small zucchini, trimmed, skins on, chopped

                2              white spring onions, chopped

                1              banana pepper, cored, seeded and chopped

                2              tablespoons fresh oregano, minced

                6              cups water, chicken stock, or vegetable stock as you wish

                1              cup cream

                1              tablespoon chives, chopped for garnish

                1              teaspoon salt

    1              teaspoon freshly ground pepper to taste

    1              teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Heat the butter and oil in a large stockpot; add the onions and banana pepper and sauté over low heat for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, zucchini, vegetable stock, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and then pass the mixture through a food mill, or mix in batches in a blender. Add the cream and season to taste.

You can serve this either hot or cold, but I prefer serving it as a vichyssoise with a splash of fresh lemon juice and scattering of chives and freshly ground black pepper just before serving.