Raw!

Spring and summer are a great time to try out some raw food recipes. Not only is produce abundant but you'll likely be craving lighter, fresher meals. I saw this recipe in Food and Wine magazine and I increased and altered the quantities a bit. I haven't found any sweet corn out West that holds up to my Midwest sweet corn experiences, so I tried it with frozen sweet corn and it turned out just fine. Note, of course, that freezing food is considered destructive by raw foodies so if you're really into the whole gone raw thing, get fresh corn.

This is a really tasty soup, though be sure to blend it to your desired consistency. If you don't get it at least relatively smooth it just looks like pancake batter. You can reserve some of the corn kernels for a garnish, if that's your thing. It's really easy to make so I've found myself making a batch at the beginning of the week and taking it it to work for lunch.

Raw Sweet Corn and Cashew Soup
(serves 8)

8 large ears of sweet corn or two packages of frozen corn
4 c water
1 c raw cashews
1 large or 2 small cloves of garlic
6 tbs olive oil
3-4 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
handful of cilantro, chopped

1) Combine all ingredients and puree until smooth (food processor or blender/immersion blender).

2) Garnish with cilantro and serve.