Melon Gazpacho with Honeydew, Tomato, Cucumber, Jalapeño, Red Onion, Chive Blossom, Verbena, and Olive Oil

Combine 3/4 of the melon, the 2 large tomatoes, half the English cucumber, half the jalapeño onion, garlic, fish sauce, lime juice, avocado oil, and xanthan gum in a high power blender and blend until completely smooth. Add salt to taste and adjust lime juice and fish sauce as desired. Transfer to a bowl (strain if your soup is not smooth and you prefer it to be). Chill thoroughly before serving.

While the soup chills, finely dice the remaining cucumber, jalapeño, and red onion. Blanch the onion or shallot in boiling water briefly and add to cold water, let stand for at least 5 minutes before draining and adding to the remaining diced vegetables. Toss with a bit of salt and dress with a bit of olive oil and lime juice, set aside.

Score the tops of the tomatoes (ends opposite where they attach to the stem) with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut into the flesh of the fruit. Blanch the cherry tomatoes in boiling water for a minute or two, just until the cut areas begin to peel back. Then use a slotted spoon to transfer the tomatoes into an ice water bath to shock them to stop the cooking. Let stand in ice water for 5 minutes and then peel the tomatoes – they should peel easily or else use a small paring knife to help you peel back the skins. Similarly, season with a bit of salt, oil, and lime juice and refrigerate until needed.

Thinly slice the remaining quarter of the melon (I like to use a mandolin for this but a sharp knife works too). Roll into rosettes and refrigerate until serving. Dice any remaining fruit that was not sliced thin and add to the bowl of cucumber, pepper, and onion.

To serve, spoon the soup into serving bowls. Sprinkle the diced vegetables over top and place a melon rose into each soup. Garnish with the peeled tomatoes, blossoms, and verbena. Finally, drizzle with olive oil and serve cold.