Summer Squash Soup with Salsa

Golden Summer Soup served with bread/tomato salad on the side (Visit The CSA Chef for that simple and rewarding salad recipe)

Nothing says summer like a yellow soup. This recipe works best for color if you use yellow bell peppers and yellow summer squash. But if all you've got are a green pepper and a zucchini, not to worry. You can peel the zucchini if you want to but there's no need. It will still taste wonderful and feel summery no matter what shade of yellow it turns out to be.

Golden Summer Soup with Salsa
1 med onion chopped
1 yellow bell pepper chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cup veg broth
1 lb (3 cups) yellow summer squash
1 large (1 lb) russet potato peeled and diced
1 c corn kernels
1 Tbsp thyme
Salt & Pepper to taste

1) in a large pot over med heat, sauté onion and pepper in oil until wilted - 3 min
2) Add stock, squash, potato, and corn. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered until vegetables are tender - about 30 mins. Let cool.
3) Puree the soup in a blender or food processor; pass thru a food mill ( opt ). Return to pot and add salt and pepper. Serve soup with one spoonful of salsa.

for a fresh salsa ...
1 med tomato seeded and diced
2 scallions chopped
1 t cilantro
1 t lime juice
Dash Tabasco

for a cooked salsa ... Thanks to Chef Christy for guiding the way!
approximately 4 tomatoes
approximately 9 tomatillos
2 small onions
5 cloves of garlic
2 - 3 jalapeños
small amount of vegetable broth paste or vegetable broth (optional)
salt

Roast the peppers, onions, tomatillos, and tomatoes on an open flame, until they blacken. When they're roasted and cooled, remove the stem ends of the peppers, and remove the cores of the tomatoes. Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend. Add salt and broth to taste; add sugar if it's too spicy.

We used barbecue skewers which quickly caught on fire, even though they had been soaked; we wished for stainless steel skewers (or just an open grill outdoors) but opted for fondue forks ultimately. This whole procedure made the apartment smell, according to Sergio, like a little pueblito in Mexico.

On the plate: everything roasted! In the reflection: Chef Christy loading the blender.

The finished product is a beautiful big jar of an earthy brown salsa with flecks of black charred veg. It's a little bit spicy and perfect.