Last winter I was asked to provide a dish for a four course meal on July 30^th at  Phillies Bridge Farm Project. It’s a pleasant exercise in February to imagine a summer evening dinner in the field, inspired by the harvest of the farm. I tore myself away from Valentine’s Day menu planning, browsed through our summer menus and decided that a Chilled Organic Squash Soup with Goat Cheese Feta and an Olive Oil Bread stick would be our contribution. We have had a CSA membership at Phillies Bridge Farm Project since the first summer we spent in New Paltz ten years ago. It is the place where my children first plucked a ripe raspberry from a bush, chased a rooster and fell in love with sugar snap peas. The beauty of the farm is compelling. The avenue of tall old trees that lead to the eyebrow colonial farmhouse, the silvery shade of grey of the barns, the hill that crests behind the farmhouse to reveal the blue blue mountains on the horizon were as nourishing to the spirit as the vegetables and flowers we picked up weekly. I can’t imagine a more lovely spot to have this dinner – “A Meal in the Field”.  As ever the months flew by and the event was at hand. Phillies Bridge Farm Project stopped by with a crate of Squash and Zucchini as well as Basil and Parsley, Onions came from Meadow View Farm, Cream from Hudson Valley Fresh, Ronnybrook Butter, Acorn Hill Feta and Wild Hive Flour for Breadsticks. My recipe for  Summer Squash Soup was inspired by Darina Allen’s, Courgette & Parsley Soup from her cookbook Simply Delicious, Meals in Minutes. I first made this soup in response to a bounty of squashes from my farm share and fell in love with it. At the restaurant we use our trusty RoboCoupe brand food processor for any soup that is destined to be pureed. Of course we also have a dishwasher to clean it afterwards – but even so…our quantities are so large that it takes mere minutes to zip through 10 lbs of squash and 4 lbs of onions with the food processor. If you want it can all be done by hand and as Darina Allen suggests the squash can be prepared using the coarse side of a cheese grater. It’s equally good hot or cold. Choose small squash for the soup as the larger ones are not as flavourful. Squash Soup with Summer Herbs Serves 8 1 lb Assorted Summer Squash and Zucchini 1 oz Sweet Butter 1 Large Onion 1 Large Yukon Gold Potato 1 Teaspoons Diamond Kosher Salt plus more Freshly Ground Pepper 1 pinch nutmeg 4 cups Chicken stock 2 Tablespoons of local cream ¼  Cup fresh basil and parsley Cut the ends from the washed squash and peel and halve the onion. Peel the potato. If you are using a food processor, fit it with the slicing attachment and process the onion and potato. Other-wise, dice the onions and potatoes. Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan such as a dutch oven on low heat and add the onion and potato along with the salt, pepper and nutmeg and allow to sweat for at least 10 minutes. Process the squash through the food processor or grate and add to the pot. Stir to mix together well and cook for 5 minutes. Add the stock and raise the heat to medium. Bring to a boil and cook for a further 10 minutes or until the potato is mushy when you push a piece against the side of the pot. Add the herbs and cream and puree. Taste the soup – it will most probably need at least a tablespoon of additional salt and a few grinds of pepper. An immersion stick blender is useful for pureeing the soup or it can be done carefully in a blender. If you are using an immersion blender make sure you don’t have any burnt bits stuck to the bottom of your pan or they will ruin the pretty green colour of the soup.