This delicious, powder puff pink concoction is gyümölcs leves (fruit soup), made with "meggy", Hungarian sour cherries. The beauty of this simple recipe is that it can be made all summer long with whatever fruit happens to be overflowing at the local fruit and veg stands. Here in Csillaghegy, we have several such stands to choose from daily (except Sunday, of course). Please, Oregonians and Californians especially, you owe it to yourselves to whip up a batch of this stuff. It's just the thang, trust me. I am posting the cherry version of this soup ... the cherries probably have to be sour, although Bings might work quite well. I wouldn't try this with the blander Rainier cherries, but, hey, who am I to stifle your creativity? This recipe will work with strawberries, raspberries, peaches, nectarines, apricots, blueberries.....you get the idea.
MEGGYLEVES
6 cups water
1 cup sugar (you could experiment with honey, agave syrup, or stevia)
2T flour (or cornstarch for the gluten intolerant)
1 cup sour cream
1 pound fresh, pitted sour cherries
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp confectioner's sugar
(optional: tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract, crushed almonds for garnish)
In a large saucepan, cook cherries and sugar in the water for about ten minutes...you should be able to smell the cherries.
While the cherries cook, whisk together thoroughly the sour cream, flour or cornstarch, salt, and confectioners sugar. If you want to add the extra spices, now would be the time to do it.
When the cherries are dones, temper the sour cream mixture with a ladle full of the hot cherry liquid, whisking briskly. When this is well blended, add it to the cherries, and continue to whisk briskly. Bring to a gentle simmer and keep it there for about five minutes.
Cool to room temperature in an ice bath....place plastic wrap directly on top of the soup to prevent a "skin" from forming. Refrigerate, then serve cold as a first course or as dessert. Also makes a swell breakfast. Embellish with whipped cream and/or chopped, roasted almonds.
A small aside...we do not have a blender, but if we did, I would have puréed a portion of the cherries before adding the sour cream mixture. This would thicken the soup further and bring out even more of the tart cherry flavor. Again, most fruits will translate well here, except maybe apples, pears, and citrus fruits. x
