STRAWBERRY SOUP WITH CANDIED BLOOD ORANGE ZEST
Serves 4
Isabel loves this soup, and it was one of the first recipes she learned to make completely herself. (Well, the soup part, not the candied citrus.) When strawberry season hits, the farmers market stalls are loaded with pints and flats of berries, many trucked just down the 101 from Oxnard. I buy them reflexively, and the ones that make it home mostly get eaten right away. I came up with this soup as a way to use the bruised ones, or the berries that had been sitting around for just one day longer than they should have been. It was also a fun reason to pull out the blender, which is Sophie’s favorite kitchen tool.
3 pints of strawberries
¾ cups sugar
juice and zest of 4 blood oranges
a bunch of fresh mint
1. Zest the oranges with a vegetable peeler and cut the strips into a fine julienne. In a small sauce pan bring ½ cup of sugar and 1 cup of water to a boil, add the zest and simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove the zest from the syrup and allow to cool. (Don’t throw out the syrup—it keeps forever in the refrigerator and is terrific to sweeten tea or whatever else you might need simple syrup for.)
2. Meanwhile, slice the strawberries, reserving about a half a cup, and place them in a bowl. Add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and the juice from the oranges. Let steep for about a half an hour, while the zest is candying.
3. Puree the strawberries and their juice in a blender until very smooth.
4. To serve, pour about a cup of the pureed strawberries into a bowl, spoon some of the reserved sliced berries into the center and sprinkle some candied zest on top. Add a sprig of mint if you have some, or a spoon of yogurt.
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