Tempering Your Summer Meals

It’s steamy outside, and that’s gotten me thinking lately about how subjective “cold” and “hot” are in the food world.

There are some foods that are very clear – Pemaquid Oysters: cold, Sheepscot Pemaquid Ale: cold, champagne: cold. I can almost feel the shivers now!

And if something is supposed to be hot, I usually don’t mind if it has cooled off a bit. A grilled piece of halibut or hanger steak, some foods are actually better when the heat has diminished.

Soup, however, proves an exception. Hot soup in the summer is still supposed to be hot, since a good soup takes time to eat. You want to have the aroma of the heat first, then cool it with a few breaths just enough to quietly “slurp.” That’s a good hot soup!

But for this time of year’s delicious cold fruit soups, you want to pick up the cup and drink - forget the spoon altogether! And there are plenty of local strawberries still available, so start puréeing now. Simple, fresh, and refreshing, these soups are perfect this time of year.

As you plan your summer meals over the next few weeks, do keep dishware cold for cold foods and hot for hot foods. This can make all the difference in terms of the longevity of enjoying a meal on hot, steamy summer evenings. Use your refrigerator to chill bowls and plates for a crispy salad or local strawberries with fresh cream.

And then you’ll be able to laugh at the heat!

Jean Kerrigan is the general manager and co-owner of the Damariscotta River Grill (Damariscotta) & Anchor Inn Restaurant (Round Pond).