Creating a meal from a bounty of local foods

Chef Carl Schroeder believes simplicity and fresh ingredients are key.

From the trained chef to the home cook, preparing meals with fresh, local ingredients over shipped, shrink-wrapped food seems an obvious choice. Shopping locally may have a growing appeal among those wanting to lessen their carbon footprint, but its true attraction lies in simple flavors that sing for themselves.

"The quality of [fresh] ingredients is so good that you don't have to do a lot," says Carl Schroeder, executive chef and owner of Market Restaurant in Del Mar, Calif. "If you've got some great summer squash, sautée it ... with some garlic, olive oil, and season it up ... [with] some fresh chopped herbs, and you are done. That's the beauty of it."

Mr. Schroeder, California's 2005 restaurant chef of the year and this year's San Diego chef of the year, lives this philosophy. Every day he handpicks his ingredients from Chino Farms, a farm stand a short drive from his restaurant. At Market, Schroeder works with his team of talented cooks to conjure up a new menu almost every night.

Creative simplicity in the kitchen is a panache home cooks can easily emulate, but make sure you start with the best produce.

"Buying a great tomato is so much better than trying to make a bad tomato taste good," says Schroeder. "All it takes is a good salt and a good vinaigrette, and you are ready to roll."

So pay a visit to your local farmers' market and load up. Then play chef with these recipes for chilled vegetable soups – a cool delight for a warm summer evening.

Chilled Corn and Lobster Soup

1/2 cup olive oil

2 Spanish onions, thinly sliced

1 leek, thinly sliced (white only)

1 tablespoon salt

4 cups fresh, raw corn kernels

2 quarts vegetable stock (preferably homemade)

1 bay leaf

1 thyme sprig

For garnish

1 to 2 cups cooked, chilled lobster or crab

Cilantro, chopped

Cherry tomatoes, chopped

Combine olive oil, onions, and leek in a saucepan and cook covered over medium heat, stirring often until onions are translucent, about 15 minutes.

Add salt, corn kernels, vegetable stock, bay leaf, and thyme. Cover, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and allow to cook for 10 minutes, or until corn is tender. Remove from heat. Remove herbs. In a blender, purée in portions at a high speed. Pass through a fine sieve and discard pulp. Taste and add more salt if needed. Adjust consistency with vegetable stock if needed. Cool down quickly by chilling in an ice bath until ready to serve. Divide soup equally among 8 bowls. Garnish each soup with rough chopped cilantro and cherry tomatoes cut in small pieces. Top each with cooked, chilled lobster or crab. Serves 8.

Source: Carl Schroeder/Market Restaurant + Bar