We are often mistaken regarding the origins of things. Croissants, for example. They’re French, right? Wrong. Croissants come from Austria. Or, at least, croissants began their life as Austrian kipfels. They became French some time in the 19th century, when bakers began to make them with puffed pastry. And vichyssoise? It’s from Vichy? Wrong again — it’s from New York. The soup, of course, takes its name from the French town. Sometime around 1917, Louis Diat, a French chef at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in New York City, put together a cold soup made of pureed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream and chicken stock. Years later, in 1950, he told the New Yorker magazine that as a boy he would cool his mother’s potato and leek soup by pouring in cold milk, which turned it into a delicious cold and refreshing soup. So the legend goes. It is not without its detractors.
While I’m a fan of the classic cold soup, this week I’m looking for something a little more seasonal. Jeremy Fox’s On Vegetables (Phaidon, 2017) is full of recipes that will reignite your passion for vegetable-based dishes. Though not a vegetarian, Fox cooks vegetarian and vegan dishes at his restaurant Rustic Canyon, in Los Angeles. Fox’s book includes a wonderful asparagus vichyssoise with a crushed-potato salad. You may be thinking, Why am I talking about asparagus in mid-August? I decided to adapt Fox’s adaptation and make a version with courgettes.
How to make courgette and mint vichyssoise
Take one diced leek, four chopped courgettes and two cloves of crushed garlic. Fry in 100g of butter until beautifully golden and then cover with vegetable stock. Simmer until soft and then add 100g of peas and 75ml of cream. Return to the boil and then take away from the heat and blend with a handful of fresh coriander, flat-leaf parsley and mint. Season and pass through a sieve, if desired. Chill until completely cold. This soup is better made the day before it is eaten. To make the crushed potato salad, dress 500g of cooked chopped potatoes with chopped chives, some scallions and cold-pressed rapeseed oil.
