Beth Dooley | The Minnesota Star Tribune (TNS)

As August slips by, I try to cling to every sunny minute. Give me the dishes that require nothing more than the freshest local produce, good spices and no-cook recipes that I can whip up in my bare feet, music blasting away.

The best summer meals are all about ease and simplicity. Lately I’ve been making cold soups, whirred together in the blender, for a light dinner or appetizer to sip with cocktails out of a pretty cup. (Especially when it’s too hot for crackers and cheese.) The only trick is to make them hearty and flavorful enough to satisfy an outdoor appetite, yet light and breezy so they do not weigh you down.

As much as I love a good gazpacho or chilled cucumber soup, fruit soups offer a range of options, savory as well as sweet, especially those with a tangy and creamy yogurt base. Take sour cherry sour cream soup, a traditional Hungarian recipe specialty. It’s sweet enough for a pretty dessert, yet when whirred with fennel, it makes a gorgeous lunch or elegant first course.

If you have great peaches, take a cue from my Atlanta cousin, Jack. He marinates fresh peaches and dried apricots in a little vinegar, honey and good olive oil, then blends it with yogurt. The results are a beautiful, tangy-sweet, velvety soup for a luscious dinner when served with mozzarella and bruschetta that’s piled high with ripe tomatoes.

Note that the fruit in a soup is interchangeable. You can swap out peaches for nectarines, or cherries, or blueberries, or raspberries, or melons — you get the idea. Feel free to mix them up and create your own, varying the spices and herbs as you go. Remember that a good soup maker is a great taster. Have fun with the flavors mixing and matching to your delight.

Serves 4.

This sweet and tangy summer soup lightly marinates the peaches and dried apricots with a little honey, vinegar and olive oil, then purées them in a blender with yogurt. Serve it cold, garnished with chopped cashews and basil. From Beth Dooley.

Directions

In a medium bowl, toss together the peaches, apricots, honey, vinegar, olive oil and cumin. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.

Transfer the mixture to a blender with the yogurt. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes or overnight. Serve cold, garnished with the cashews and basil.

Beth Dooley is the author of “The Perennial Kitchen.” Find her at bethdooleyskitchen.com.

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