Blackberry Soup with Peaches and Berries

• VEGETARIAN

Ingredients

1. 1 1/2 pints blackberries, picked over (about 4 1/2 cups)
2. 6 tablespoons sugar, or more to taste
3. 1/2 teaspoon kirsch, brandy or cassis (optional)
4. 3 large ripe peaches (about 1 1/2 pounds)
5. 1 pint vanilla ice cream

1. Set aside 1 1/2 cups of the blackberries. Place the remaining 3 cups berries and 1/2 cup of water in a nonreactive 3 1/2 -quart saucepan. Cover, bring to a simmer over moderate heat and cook until the berries have softened slightly and exuded their juices, about 5 minutes.
2. Transfer the cooked berries to a strainer and press through to remove the seeds. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the sugar until dissolved; sweeten with more sugar if desired. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Stir in the kirsch.
3. Up to 2 hours before serving, peel, halve and pit the peaches. Working over a bowl, slice the peaches 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Sprinkle the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar over the peaches and gently toss.
4. Ladle the chilled blackberry soup into 6 soup plates, arrange the peach slices in the soup and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and about 6 or 7 of the reserved blackberries to each serving. Serve at once.