Cold Peach Soup (recipe)

This delightful little dish is perfect for whetting the appetite before a lazy summer lunch or to serve as a dessert after supper. I picked this recipe up from a friend in Pasadena, California.

Cold Peach Soup

Makes 4 cups

• 2¼ lbs. ripe peaches, skinned, pitted, and sliced
• ½ cup orange juice
• 1 tsp. grated orange rind
• ½ cup marsala wine (although any sweet wine will do)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
• mint, to garnish

Put all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and purée. Pour the resulting mixture into a medium sauce pan.

Bring the soup to a slow boil, then lower the heat until it is just simmering. Stir constantly for about eight minutes, until the soup becomes a bit more clear and thickens.

Take the soup off the heat, and chill well. Serve in frosted glasses or bowls, and garnish with mint leaves.