Vegetarian Tour of California | Chilled Avocado, Tomatillo and Cucumber Soup

Aloha, my cycling friends!

I start this post with an apology for the lull in Vegetarian Giro d'Italia recipes. I am currently on a work trip that has taken me away from my kitchen and six hours behind my normal time zone. So, the posts, like me, are a little jet lagged.

To make up for it, I'm starting a parallel vegetarian cuisine series to honor the Tour of California.

Am I forgiven now?

Cool...let's now head to the West Coast of the United States for a taste of California cuisine with a little Chilled Avocado, Tomatillo and Cucumber Soup with a Saffron Lime Ice. (Stay tuned, more Italian recipes are on their way, you think I'd abandon mid-Giro? Heck no!)

California is truly a melting pot and its cuisine is influenced by a broad palate of flavors and styles. Food in California is influenced by not only the immigrants that have settled in the state (Asian, Latin American, Italian, etc.) but also from the abundance of local foods that are easily accessible. Honestly, I’m always amazed at the wide-variety of fruits and vegetables that are available on the side of the road any time of the year.

Chefs from around the world have been attracted to the state and have created many popular fusion restaurants that highlight the local and international flavors. (Some places have a reservation wait list so long, you have to predict sometimes months, or a year, in advance to figure out when you’ll be free. Yeah, I’m looking at you French Laundry)

And, finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention all the health food and the general acceptance of the vegetarian and vegan lifestyle. Huzzah!

For those ready for a glass of wine, immigrants not only brought food influences, but also the beginnings of wine production in the state. In the 18th century, the Spanish brought the first grape vines and, well, the rest is history. Fast forward to the 21st century, and now California boasts over 90% of all wine production in the United States. Shall I also cite the 1976 blind taste test that vaulted California into the spotlight for producing decent wines to the Bottle Shock of France?

So, let’s get this California party started with a recipe from one of my most favorite vegan restaurants – Millennium in San Francisco. This recipe features many of the local ingredients found in California but specifically highlights the avocado. Avocados were introduced in California in 1871 by Judge R.B. Ord. (Yeah, that’s right, California history is so young that we even know the name of the guy that trotted across from Mexico with avocado trees and plopped them into Santa Barbara soil.) By the time the 1950′s rolled around there were almost 25 varieties of avocado being grown in the state.

Bottom line: This soup was divine – fresh, healthy and unique with the saffron-lime ice adorning the top of the glass. It went down smoothly on a warm spring day. It does make a lot (since there are only two of us in the house we had an enormous amount leftover) However, avocado, by its nature, is very sensitive once it's cut open so I wouldn’t sit on this soup for more than a day…or two.

Recipe and details on Veggin'