"Pink" Chilled Roasted Beet Soup/Chilled Corn Soup With Shrimp Salad Bruschetta

"Pink" Chilled Roasted Beet Soup

3 to 4 large beets (1½ pounds)

Juice of 1 lime

1½ teaspoons ground cumin

1½ teaspoons ground coriander

4 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock

Coarse salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup sour cream

Chopped chives, for garnish

Heat oven to 400°. Place beets on a sheet of foil and wrap tightly. Roast until tender, about 1½ hours. Unwrap and let cool enough to touch. Using rubber gloves if you want to keep your hands stain free, rub off the skins. Cut into chunks and place in a food processor or blender with lime juice, cumin and coriander. Puree, adding the stock gradually, until it reaches desired consistency (If using a blender, you may want to do this in two batches.). Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill completely. Stir in sour cream before serving, garnished with chopped chives.

Serves 6 to 8, Makes 1½ quarts

Chilled Corn Soup with Shrimp Salad Bruschetta

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 sweet onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

Kernels cut from 5 ears of corn, ¾ cup reserved

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

3 cups whole milk

3 cups chicken stock

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

8 ounces large shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped into ½-inch pieces

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sliced rustic bread, toasted

Crème fraîche, for serving

1. Melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened – do not brown. Add corn kernels and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly. Add milk and chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and reserved ¾ cup corn. Cook until shrimp is opaque, about 1 minute. Remove pan from the heat and add jalapeno and chives. Season with salt and pepper and divide mixture over toasted bread.

3. Transfer soup to a blender (in batches, so it won't explode!) and process until smooth. Serve hot or chilled topped with a dollop of crème fraîche, with shrimp salad bruschettas on the side.

This soup is a favorite during the summer when Bixby corn is plentiful. For lunch, there is no heating necessary…just toast the bread the night before, let it cool completely before storing in a plastic bag. Pack the shrimp salad separately and top toasts at lunchtime.

Serves 4