Summer Soup: Chilled Carrot Harissa Soup with Sweet Goat Cheese, Radish, Pursalene, Black Truffle, Beet Puree.

Summer Soup

On a hot summer day, there is nothing better than a cold soup that's actually delicious. We made this soup at work the other day, and it was great, so I took a cup home and put my own spin on it. My favorite part of this dish is the textures that exist in each component. Pursalene is a delicious leaf green, but is actually considered a weed. It is great to use in soups, salads, or to add color or texture to any dish really. Here, the Pursalene gives a nice fresh crunch when bitten into. (above, Pursalene)

Here is my plating of the dish:

The Goat Cheese I used here is something we use at work, called Moroccan Goat Cheese.
It is so good, that when making it, I think I taste it at least 5 times for "quality control"...

Moroccan Goat Cheese, Ana Sortun Recipe

1/2 Onion- Small dice
3 Oz lemon juice
1 Cup Cilantro leaves- Chiffonade
8 Oz Goat Cheese X2
1/4 Cup E.V.O.O
3/4 Cup Golden Raisin
1/4 C Slivered Almonds (Optionally toasted @325 for 3-5 mins, or until golden)

Dice the onion, and then let it cure in the lemon juice and 1tea Salt for about 10-15 minutes, this will lessen the sharp flavor of raw onion, but still have the nice crunch. Then, mix in the olive oil and goat cheese and incorporate. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and enjoy!
There are many applications for this cheese. I have made it into a ravioli filling, I have eaten it in salads, and even breaded it and deep fried it for a goat cheese fritter of sorts.

Black Truffle: go buy some NOW. Whether it be truffle salt, oil, or the real thing. But I LOVE truffles, so try doing something with them, it works well in pastas, risottos, and as a garnish for a wide variety of things.