Name: Gazpacho Verde
Total time: 165 min
Ingredients: 1 cup dried blueberries (4 ounces); 1 tablespoon sugar (plus 1 teaspoon); 2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar; 1 pound green melon (3 cups ripe, such as honeydew, peeled and cut into -inch pieces); 4 Persian cucumbers (peeled, seeded and chopped); 2 Hass avocados (1 ounces peeled, pitted and chopped); 0.5 teaspoon fresh lemon juice; 0.5 cup crème fraîche; Kosher salt; 0.5 cup extra-virgin olive oil (mild, fruity, or grapeseed oil, chilled); 1 cup fennel fronds ( ounce, packed anise hyssop or lemon balm); 1 fennel bulb (small inner core only, halved and very thinly sliced lengthwise); 1 Persian cucumber (peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise on the diagonal); 0.5 teaspoon Champagne vinegar; 1 pinch of sugar; 1 pinch of kosher salt; Fennel pollen and mint or anise hyssop flowers (for garnish)

Active Time:

40 mins

Total Time:

2 hrs 45 mins

Yield:

4 to 6

Ingredients

Blueberries

1 cup dried blueberries (4 ounces)
1 tablespoon sugar (plus 1 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar

Soup

1 pound green melon (3 cups ripe, such as honeydew, peeled and cut into -inch pieces)
4 Persian cucumbers (peeled, seeded and chopped)
2 Hass avocados (1 ounces peeled, pitted and chopped)
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup crème fraîche
Kosher salt

Sweet Herb Oil

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil (mild, fruity, or grapeseed oil, chilled)
1 cup fennel fronds ( ounce, packed anise hyssop or lemon balm)

Garnish

1 fennel bulb (small inner core only, halved and very thinly sliced lengthwise)
1 Persian cucumber (peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise on the diagonal)
½ teaspoon Champagne vinegar
1 pinch of sugar
1 pinch of kosher salt
Fennel pollen and mint or anise hyssop flowers (for garnish)

Directions

Make the blueberries

In a medium bowl, mix the blueberries with the sugar and vinegar. Let macerate at room temperature for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 200°. Spread the blueberries on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened but still moist. Let cool.

Meanwhile, make the soup

In a blender, combine all of the ingredients, season with salt and puree until smooth. Strain the soup through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours, until cold.

Make the sweet herb oil

In a blender, combine the oil and herbs and puree until smooth. In a sieve set over a small bowl, strain the oil through a coffee filter or a double layer of cheesecloth.

Make the garnish

In a medium bowl, toss the fennel and cucumber with the vinegar, sugar and salt. Let stand for 3 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of the sweet herb oil; toss to coat.
Divide the blueberries into bowls and top with the fennel-cucumber garnish. Pour the soup around the bowl. Drizzle with some of the remaining sweet herb oil, top with fennel pollen and mint or anise hyssop flowers and serve.