Cold Tomato and Sour Cream Soup (Page 83)

RECIPE #1208

• Date: Sunday, August 29, 2010 -- 6pm
• Location: East Lansing, MI
• Kitchen: Our House
• Dining Companions: Helen, Charles, Clara, Bob, Laura, Matty, Corbett, Mary, and Allison
• Recipe Rating: B
  

I picked this recipe for our dinner party a couple weeks ago because it was quick and could be made ahead. I pureed several pounds of tomatoes, then strained the puree. I stirred in lemon zest, lemon juice, finely chopped scallion greens, sugar, dried thyme, dried marjoram, salt, and pepper. I chilled it until very cold, then served it with sour cream. It was that simple! I often have a hard time getting super-excited about cold soup. While I liked this soup fine, I wasn't wowed by it and with many other options on the table I didn't finish my serving. Opinions around the table varied. My special gentleman took one bite and set it aside, while it was Mary's favorite part of the meal. It had a good, clean flavor to it, and was quite refreshing. I thought it was a nice soup for a summer evening. However, it was the type of soup that was tasty for the first few bites but I wouldn't want to eat a big bowl of it. In small portions, though, I could see serving it again. It would be perfect served in shot glasses as an hors d'oeuvre at an outdoor summer party, for instance.

The recipe is here.

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In my new job I have a joint appointment. I am appointed both in the math department and also in a science-focused residential college within the university. What that means is that I have two offices, two sets of colleagues, and my teaching is divided between the two units. The research component of my job isn't affected by the joint appointment. The residential college has their own calculus courses (also physics, chemistry, biology, history and philosophy of science, etc...) and the students take all these courses in the building in which they live. This semester I am just teaching one calculus class in the college and I am not teaching in the math department. Next semester I will have one class in the college and one in math. Although I am not teaching in the math department this term I still spend time there of course. That's where all the math seminars take place and I keep most of my research-related materials in my math office. I think balancing my time between the two units will be one of the challenges of this new job. So far it has worked out pretty well. Today, for instance, I spent the morning in the college -- first office hours, then I lectured. I ate lunch in my office there, then biked over to the math department where I did some research work and went to the Algebra seminar. On Tuesdays and Thursdays I try to spend the whole day in the math department, since I don't teach on those days.

It has definitely been an interesting change. For instance, this is the first time I have ever had an office in a building where undergraduates live (more on that in another post!). I am loving my new job, and the new challenges that it has presented. And each day I am feeling a little more settled and on top of things. I am hopeful that by the end of the semester I will have my head above water!