Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are excerpted from Charlie Trotter and Roxanne Klein's book, Raw.

　　Although this soup has a robust tomato flavor, it is surprisingly satiny and creamy, a result achieved by blending cucumber into the tomatoes. Chopped jalapeño provides a refreshing bite, shaved fennel adds crunch, and arbequina olives contribute both earthiness and meatiness. A final drizzle of olive oil is all that is needed to push this splendid dish over the top.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

　　

Soup

2 large, red heirloom tomatoes, peeled and seeded

　　1/2 jalapeño chile, seeded and chopped

　　1/2 cup chopped, peeled cucumber

　　2 teaspoons sherry wine vinegar

　　Celtic sea salt and freshly ground pepper

　　

Garnish

1 3-inch-long baby fennel, thinly shaved on a mandoline

　　12 arbequina olives, pitted and quartered

　　1/4 cup peeled, seeded, and diced red tomato

　　2 teaspoons brine from olives

　　2 teaspoons sherry wine vinegar

　　1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

　　12 micro fennel sprouts or fennel fronds

　　

Method—

Step 1

To make the soup: In a high-speed blender, combine the tomatoes, chile, cucumber, and vinegar and process until smooth. Pass the purée through a fine-mesh sieve and season to taste with salt and pepper.

　　

Assembly—

Step 2

Ladle one-fourth of the soup into each bowl. Garnish with the fennel, olives, and tomato. Drizzle the olive brine, vinegar, and olive oil around the soup. Sprinkle with the fennel sprouts.

　　Wine Notes—

　　The flavors of this dish are reminiscent of Provence, making a rosé possible. A Bandol Rosé from Domaine Tempier would be a serious selection with a complexity that other rosés often lack. This choice would accentuate the tomatoes and olive elements. An alternative would be to look to Albarino, a high-acid, aromatic varietal usually found in northwestern Spain. Napa Valley's Havens Wine Cellars makes an Albarino from Carneros, an option that will also excite the palate.

　　Reprinted with permission from Raw, by Charlie Trotter and Roxanne Klein. © 2003 Ten Speed Press