GREEN GAZPACHO

6 servings

          The combination of honeydew melon, green tomatoes, mint and cucumber makes a colorful and refreshing chilled soup. You can make a golden version by using Crenshaw melon and yellow tomatoes. Chilled poached scallops may be added to the soup for an elegant appetizer or first course.

1 tablespoon vegetable or safflower oil 2 shallots, minced

1/2 large honeydew melon, peeled, seeded, in 1-inch pieces

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, in 1-inch pieces

4 medium tomatillas, quartered, or 2 green tomatoes, quartered

5 ounces jicama, cut in 5 pieces

1/2 yellow bell pepper, stemmed and seeded (optional)

2 cups chicken stock, all fat removed

3 tablespoons fresh lime or lemon juice

1 serrano chili, stemmed and cut in half

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

1/2 tablespoon minced fresh mint

VEGETABLES

1/2 cup seeded cucumber, finely chopped

1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, finely chopped, or 1/2 cup papaya, finely chopped

3/4 cup seeded tomato, finely chopped

1 small carrot, blanched and finely chopped

          Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté a minute or until translucent.

Place about half the melon, cucumber, tomatillas or tomatoes, jicama, yellow bell pepper and the shallots in a blender jar and blend until smooth. Divide the chicken stock and lime juice and add half to the vegetables in the blender jar; blend until smooth. Empty into a large bowl and repeat process with remaining half. Combine both batches. Add the serrano chili and let it stand in the soup for 5 minutes to add flavor. Remove and discard. Season the soup with salt, pepper, cilantro and mint to taste. Stir in chopped vegetables and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

Variations

           For a golden gazpacho, substitute Crenshaw melon for honeydew and yellow tomatoes for tomatillas or green tomatoes and use 1 whole yellow bell pepper instead of half.

           For gazpacho with scallops, poach 3/4 pound scallops as follows. Bring 1/4 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups white wine and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a skillet, Add scallops, cover and remove from heat. Let poach, undisturbed, for 12 minutes. Remove scallops from liquid, cool and toss with 1 tablespoon each cilantro and mint. Slice sea scallops thin and divide among individual bowls of gazpacho. (Hay scallops do not need to be sliced.)