Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Nasturtiums
Submitted By: Denise Schreiber

Ingredients:  

6  red peppers, roasted, seeded and cooled ( I like Early Thickset)
1 12 oz. can of tomato juice
2 1/2 tomato juice cans of water, chicken or vegetable broth or any combination of the three
About 1 cup of flowers and leaves from washed nasturtiums (Whirlybirds)
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
leaves from 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground pepper
Sour cream
 
In a food processor, puree peppers until smooth.  Place in saucepan along with broth/water, tomato juice and lemon juice and heat thoroughly.  Mince nasturtiums and add to soup with thyme.  Add a small amount of salt and freshly ground pepper.
Cook for another 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld together.
Serve hot or cold with a dollop of sour cream.
You can also skip the sour cream and add tablespoon of vodka if serving cold, stirring it in.  (My husband's idea.)
 

Gardeners' Quotes

ON A SEED

This was the goal of the leaf and the root.
For this did the blossom burn its hour.
This little grain is the ultimate fruit.
This is the awesome vessel of power.

For this is the source of the root and the bud...
World unto world unto world remolded.
This is the seed, compact of God,
Wherein all mystery is enfolded.
Georgie Starbuck Galbraith, The New York Times, 1960