Chilled Strawberry Soup and Brandied Peach Soup

     Found these recipes in the Better Homes & Garden's America's Best-Loved Community Recipes  they sounds quite good. Could be used for a dinner party or for a summer dinner possibly. 


CHILLED STRAWBERRY SOUP
(makes 4 servings) 1/2 cup red Port wine
1 teaspoon minced ginger root
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 pints hulled fresh strawberries
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 to 2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar

1. In a 1-quart stainless steel or enamel saucepan, bring wine and Ginger to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Add heavy cream; return to boiling and cook 1 minute longer, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat.

2. In a food processor bowl or blender container, place strawberries, mint and vinegar. Cover: process until strawberries are puréed. Add cream mixture, process again until well combined. Pour soup into a container; cover and refrigerate until throughly chilled.

3. Soup can be prepared several days prior to serving. To serve: ladle chilled strawberry soup into throughly chilled bowls. Garnish with a fresh strawberry fan or sprig of mint. 



BRANDIED PEACH SOUP
(Makes 4 servings)

1 can (29 oz) peach halves in heavy syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 cup dry or sweet white wine
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon brandy
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed
  lemon juice
Sliced fresh or canned peaches

1. Drain peach halves, reserving 1 cup of the syrup. Place peaches in a food processor bowl or blender container. Cover and process until peaches are puréed. Transfer to a medium-sized saucepan; add cinnamon, white pepper, wine, and reserved heavy syrup.

2. In a 1-cup measure, blend cornstarch and water; set aside. Bring peach mixture to boiling, stirring constantly. Whisk in cornstarch mixture and cook 1 to 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Remove from heat.

3. In a small bowl, whisk sour cream, brandy and lemon juice until blended; whisk into peach mixture. Reserving some sour cream mixture for garnish, if desired. Pour soup into a container; refrigerate. Serve soup well chilled. Transfer soup into bowls; garnish with sour cream swirls or peaches.