Chilled Corn Soup With Basil Food

CHILLED CORN SOUP

Steps:

• Cut the corn: Hold an ear of corn upright with one end on the cutting board and the other in your non-cutting hand. Use a sharp knife to shave off the kernels in rows from the cob. Rotate the corn and cut close enough to the core so that the kernels remain relatively whole, but not so closely that you end up taking fibrous pieces of the cob with you. Repeat with all of the corn. Gather the kernels in a bowl and reserve the cobs.
• Start the soup: Combine half the olive oil and all the scallions with a generous pinch salt and 1/4 cup water in a large saute pan and cook over medium-low heat until they are translucent and tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Cook the corn: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in the same saute pan and add all the corn kernels. Season with salt, then stir in the brown sugar and a generous pinch black pepper. Cook over medium heat until the corn becomes tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Finish: Bring the half-and-half and 1 cup water to a gentle simmer in a medium pot over medium heat and add the cobs. Simmer the cobs gently on low heat until they impart their corn flavor to the half-and-half, 12 to 15 minutes. Discard the cobs. Add the Worcestershire and hot sauce and stir to combine. Add the cooked corn and scallions to the pot and simmer on low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
• Puree half of the liquid and corn in the blender until smooth and pour back into the rest of the soup. Refrigerate until fully cold, at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Serve: Whisk to blend so some of the remaining corn lands in each bowl as you serve the soup. Taste for seasoning. Ladle into the bowls.

CREAMY CORN SOUP WITH BASIL

Steps:

• Put 3 tablespoons olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. When the oil starts to look wavy, add the onions and season well with salt and pepper.
• Let onions cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes, then turn heat to medium and continue cooking until onions are quite soft, about 15 minutes more.
• Add the garlic and corn kernels, and stir to combine. Add 6 cups water and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Taste the resulting broth and adjust salt to taste. (It should be well seasoned.) Cook for about another 10 to 15 minutes, until the kernels are tender. Stir in squash blossoms, if using, and turn off heat.
• Working in batches, purée the soup in a blender. Pass the puréed soup through a fine-mesh strainer and into a large bowl, pushing down to press all the liquid out. Discard the fibrous debris left behind.
• Check consistency and seasoning, and adjust as needed. (Add a bit more water if the soup seems too thick.) The soup can be made up to a few hours ahead up to this point, and tastes best the day it's made. Reheat, if needed, before serving.
• To serve, ladle into individual bowls. Drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil over each serving. Quickly chop the basil, and sprinkle over to finish.

CHILLED RAW CORN SOUP

Steps:

• Combine the corn, bell pepper, jalapeño, onion, tomatoes and garlic in a blender. Add the olive oil, vinegar, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt and puree on high speed until very smooth. Strain the soup through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, using a rubber spatula to push it through. Season with salt.
• Refrigerate the soup until cold, 1 to 2 hours. Pour into bowls and top with more corn and a drizzle of olive oil.

SWEET CORN AND BASIL SOUP

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add half of onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add corn cobs and 8 cups water. Simmer until liquid is reduced to 4 cups, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly. Refrigerate overnight. Strain corn broth; discard cobs.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in another heavy large pot over medium heat. Add remaining onions and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add corn kernels and sauté until almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add strained corn broth and remaining 2 cups water. Simmer uncovered 40 minutes. Cover and simmer until corn is very tender, about 20 minutes longer. Cool slightly.
• Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Stir in cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.) Divide soup among 6 bowls. Sprinkle with basil and serve.