Soups

These are not the traditional Boston baked beans, but rather white beans cooked with tomatoes and lots of herbs. Begin with dried Navy beans or French flageolet, which are pale green, and soak them overnight (the quick-soak method is also given here). Cook the beans in the oven or on top of the stove for a couple hours. When they're done, stir in a large spoonful of pesto. To make a meatier version, add a fresh pork or ham bone to the pot or 1/4 pound finely diced ham.

This chowder is easy to make and requires only one pot. The salmon comes out tender and is a good match with the dill and potatoes. For a smokier flavor, roast the ears of corn directly over the fire before removing the kernels. If you don't have fresh salmon, frozen will work fine, or you can use smoked salmon. If using smoked salmon, cut back on the salt for seasoning.

In late June, when shelling peas debut for a few weeks, grab as many as you can. They depart as quickly as they arrive. Shucking them as you watch a movie makes it less a chore and more like therapy. Pluck them from their pods by running your finger like a zipper down the open pod and tipping the peas into a bowl. Eat them straight or cook them simply so their flavors pop in your mouth. This easy soup begins with a light broth made from the scraps of a leek simmered with celery, bay leaf, and peppercorns.

Quick to prepare, this Asian-style noodle soup has all the makings of a one-pot meal. To punch up the heat, add a dab of chile-garlic sauce.

Visit a farm or stand and bring home a basketful of native vegetables. Then trim, snip, and simmer them into a large pot of vegetable soup. Let the kids select their favorite vegetables (everyone likes corn, many like green beans); introduce one or two that may not have gone over well in the past (zucchini).

If you are pressed for time you can “quick-brine” your beans. In step 1, combine the salt, water, and beans in a large Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans and proceed with the recipe. We prefer cannellini beans, but navy or great Northern beans can be used. We prefer pancetta, but bacon can be used. To make this soup vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth for chicken broth and 2 teaspoons of olive oil for the pancetta.

This light soup is a great way to slip fresh corn (and tilapia, of course!) into your late-summer menu. Make it a meal: Enjoy with a mixed green salad and oyster crackers.

In late summer, when tomatoes are at their ripest, I crave slices of heirlooms and mozzarella sprinkled with sea salt and olive oil, rather than a cold soup of diced raw veggies, heavy on the tomatoes. Then I tried a gazpacho by Dani Garcia, a prodigy of molecular cooking and chef at Restaurant Calima, in Marbella, off the southern coast of Spain. His gazpacho is a sweet puree of cherry tomatoes studded with pistachios and anchovies, topped with cheese snow (made with liquid nitrogen). In this version, whirl native tomatoes with garlic, chilies, sherry vinegar, and cumin.

Gazpacho as most people know it is the Andalusian soup of fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, and stale bread. This chilled soup also includes a slew of cold vegetable purees, some that omit tomatoes and add almonds. White gazpacho reflects Spain’s ancient Arabic past. These bowls of soup would have been made with a mortar and pestle, but use a blender and give it plenty of time to whir and lots of olive oil, and you’ll get a velvety texture. Let the soup mellow for at least several hours in the refrigerator or overnight for optimal flavor.