It’s early Saturday evening as I’m scheduling all of these cold soup recipes to post Sunday morning. Earlier I’d told Mr. Big Food about the focus on cold food this week. I just walked into the kitchen, where he’s making our salads, and said, “Cold Cherry Soup.”

He smiled, chuckled and asked, “Wonder what The Girls would say? Matti!”

Sometime in the mid-1990s we took two of The Girls, Kat and Miss M, to Europe (yes, Daughter C, we still owe you a trip). Among other places, we went to rural-ish Slovenia and then via train through Croatia (worst coffee I’ve ever had in my life) to Budapest. John was invited to the Hungarian Academy of Sciences which was located way outside of the city, near a large gypsy camp. The complex was an old-style communist compound. John and I had been there before, so knew what to expect–heavily militarized, very regimented. Lunch was served in a cafeteria. We were hungry. Our host had made special arrangements for our group to get the good stuff–including cold cherry soup. It was awful. Truly bad. A grad student, Matti who was with us, apparently was thrilled to have such a delight. He went back for seconds three times. We couldn’t believe it.

I relay this story not to turn you off of cherry soup, but to make you smile because sometimes the best food-family experiences are about the worst imaginable food.

I have no doubt that Claiborne’s cherry soup is far better. I’ve had cold fruit soup since and it’s good.

“Cold fruit soups are not for every palate but those who admire them are voluble in their praise. The ideal time to drink or dine on such soups is at high noon on the hottest day of the year.”—The New York Times Cook Book by Craig Claiborne (1961)

COLD BERRY SOUP

4 to 6 servings

2 C fresh strawberries or raspberries, rubbed through a fine sieve
½ C (approximately) sugar
½ C sour cream
2 C ice water
½ C red wine

Add sugar to taste to berries, and sour cream, and mix. Add water and wine, correct seasonings, and chill.

COLD CHERRY SOUP

6 servings

½ C seedless raisins
6 thin slices orange
6 thin slices lemon
¼ C lemon juice
1 stick cinnamon
2 C water
2 C fresh peaches, peeled, sliced
1½ C pitted sweet or sour cherries
½ C (approximately) sugar
Dash salt
1½ Tbsp cornstarch, blended with a little water
Whipped cream

Simmer together raisins, orange slices, lemon slices, lemon juice, cinnamon stick, and water for 20 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick. Add peaches, cherries, sugar, and salt, bring to a boil, add cornstarch mixture, and cook, stirring, until clear, about 1 minute. Adjust sweetening, adding additional sugar if sour cherries are used. Serve chilled, garnished with whipped cream.