Cold cucumber and melon soup with a hint of chilli

Cold soup of cucumber-melon with a hint of chilli

This summer’s version of a cold soup is cucumber-melon-chilli.

The 30°+C temperature during day and night in Switzerland is a nice finish for the summer despite all the sweating, complaining of how hot it is and it is impossible to sleep due to the heat. Typically there is no air conditioning in Swiss houses and appartments, and it is good so. I can’t really complain too much knowing that many of my friends in Estonia would give anything for this heat. It has been 10-15 degrees (Celcius) colder over there these couple of weeks. On the other hand many have their own saunas, something that the Swiss don´t have.

96% water is what cucumbers and melons are. In between the liters of 100% H2O that is consumed to keep hydrated, a chilled soup is a guaranteed refreshment.

Best if the cucumber and melon have been in the fridge for a while to keep the soup cold.

What I like in a cucumber soup is that it somehow manages to fill the stomach for quite a long while. Normally I wouldn’t believe that water could do that, but I have tested this on myself and some friends and the results are convincing.

Ingredients: (For 2)

 

1 long salad cucumber

0.5 melon
0.5dl milk
A pinch of salt
A pinch of chilli powder or flakes
A pinch of peppermint leaves, thinly chopped (optional)
Juice of a slice of lemon or lime
 
Crème fraîche or sour cream

Cut the vegetables into small pieces, add the milk (and peppermint) and purée with a hand mixer or blender until smooth.

Season with salt, chilli and lemon or lime juice to your taste.

Serve cold. If you are in a hurry and have used the veg at room temperature add a couple of ice cubes to chill the soup just before serving.
 

Cucumber-melon soup

 

Related posts to cold soups:

Cold cucumber-mint soup

Le Pré Verre in Paris where a cold lemon confit soup was served

Octopus carpaccio

Octopus carpaccio

Octopus belongs to the "Love it, hate it" foods. Some just adore the purple and white meaty  bite, others get shivers just by looking at, let alone touching or eating, the knobby tentacles of this sea animal.

2 x ca 1 kg raw octopus

For those who love octopus the Galician style pulpo a la gallega or pulpo and shrimp cocktail from Mexico are well known. A cold variation of preparing pulpo is as carpaccio. Octopus in a cold dish is a gastronomic gift that keeps you cool and fills the belly just to the right level on a warm day. Even if served warm and you are eating outside, when the food starts to get cold on the plate it still tastes great, unlike a piece of meat that one would like to re-heat to continue eating.

Cold octopus carpaccio

The preparation of carpaccio di polpo is simple.

Cook the pulpo in water. (Instructions can be found here). Mid-way, taste if your octopus needs salt and if yes, add to the cookin g water. Let it cool in the cooking water so it does not dry out and starts to build the gelatinuous jelly. When cool, fold the whole piece tightly together and place it in a plastic bag. Tie it with rubber bands if necessary to keep it tighly together. Leave in the fridge for a few hours or over night until it becomes firm.

Carpaccio di polpo

When ready to serve remove from the plastic wrap and cut thin slices with a very sharp knife.
Serve with some thick balsamico or fig vinegar, some olive oil and flakes of seasalt as a cold starter or light meal with some fresh salad.

Octopus carpaccio with balsamico

Paris: Le Pré Verre

I am back from holidays and a weekend in Paris with my friends. As always in another city finding the good places where to eat requires some effort but absolutely pays off in the level of satisfaction after.

Fab food and atmosphere at Le Pré Verre on Rive Gauche

Le Pré Verre is a lovely restaurant on a corner in the 5th Arrondissement a few steps from the famous Sorbonne University. This vibrant bistro is run by two brothers. The food is modern seasonal French with some Asian touch points.

The Sorbonne, not far from the Le Pré Verre

We had booked for 19:30 and there were people already waiting behind the closed door when we arrived. A good sign! We went for a walk around the block and took a couple of pictures of the University and surprise, surprise, in the little green oasis next to it  we discovered the sculpture of Romulus and Remus feeding on the wolf's milk, familiar from Rome.

Romulus and Remus next to the Sorbonne University in Paris

10 minutes later, back at the restaurant, there were more people at the door waiting to be seated and when we were studying our menus the place was three quarters full. The three waiting staff were busy and covered the floor almost running but we got enough attention and did not have to wait unnecessarily.

If you fancy great food in a relaxed atmosphere, I do recommend to visit Le Pré Verre. The staff was friendly, the visitors a mix of locals and tourists. It is best to reserve a table, we booked a week in advance.

Professors, students, people from the neighbourhood and tourists keep Le Pré Verre busy every night

Some information for the wallet: starters were around 10 €, the main courses around 20 €, desserts less than 10 €. A set menu that fills the belly with a starter, a main course and a dessert can be enjoyed for ca.30 Euros. The menu offers a choice between 4-5 starters, mains and desserts each ranging from a refreshing cold soup of lemon confit to veal liver served with sweet potatoes and a beetroot chip to marinated strawberries with dark green parsley ice cream. A nice bottle of dry white can be enjoyed for ca 30 €. The innovative use of ingredients (eg.aubergine ice cream) and combinations are guaranteed to stay in my taste memory bank for a long time.

One thing I noticed in Paris was that in several places the waiting staff did not deal with the payment. They brought you the bill, but the payment was done at the front desk.

If you have any great restaurant recommendations for Paris, please share...for my next trip.

Sous le ciel de Paris....