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2 Heat the oil in a medium sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and the smoked paprika, and sauté until the onions are translucent and very fragrant, about 4 minutes. Transfer the contents of the sauté pan to the processor, adding them to the tomatoes and juice. Add the vinegar and the remaining salt, and process until the contents liquefy.

3 Add the buttermilk, if desired, and whisk thoroughly to incorporate it. Serve the soup chilled, garnished with a few pinches of herbs and a drizzle of your best olive oil. (Covered, the soup will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 days.)

CREAMY ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH GRILLED ASPARAGUS

serves 4 as a luncheon main course or 8 as a first course • TIME: 20 minutes

This soup is best in the spring, when local asparagus is in season in North America and when you’re most likely to be anticipating the grilling season. Here we coax the maximum fresh green flavor out of the asparagus stems, then char the tender asparagus tops in a skillet until they’ve got that grilled-asparagus deliciousness. We float the tops on the surface of the soup to create a dish that’s super-easy, and yet has layers and layers of flavor.

3 pounds asparagus (about 2 large bunches)

1 quart vegetable broth, homemade or store-bought

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

1 medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

2 teaspoons grapeseed, canola, or other vegetable oil

½ cup heavy cream or whole or lowfat buttermilk, or to taste

1 to 2 ounces thinly sliced country ham or prosciutto Americano, cut into strips

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 Trim any woody parts from the stem ends of the asparagus. Cut the tops from the asparagus about 2 inches down from the tip, and reserve. Cut the spears crosswise into pieces about ¾ inch long.

2 Bring the vegetable broth and ¼ teaspoon of the salt to a simmer in a 4- to 6-quart pot, and add the chopped asparagus spears and onion. Add all but 24 of the asparagus tops to the pot, too. Simmer until the asparagus spears are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

3 While the broth and the veggies simmer, pour the oil into a cast-iron skillet or sauté pan and heat it over high heat, tilting the pan occasionally so the oil coats the bottom thinly and evenly. When the oil begins to smoke, add the reserved asparagus tops, and scatter the remaining ½ teaspoon salt over them. Cook, stirring only every 1 to 1½ minutes, until the asparagus tops are browned in places, about 6 minutes. Remove them from the heat.

4 Transfer the broth and vegetables to a blender (in batches, if necessary), and liquefy. Return the soup to the pot, add the heavy cream, and heat to a simmer. Serve immediately in bowls, garnished with the skillet-grilled asparagus tops, strips of country ham, and freshly ground black pepper. (Covered, the soup will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 days.)

HOMINY STEW WITH CHICKEN AND CHILES

serves 6 • TIME: 50 minutes

The wonderfully nutty and hearty corn flavor of hominy (the rustic lime-treated corn kernels that are a keystone ingredient in many southern cuisines) combines beautifully with the flavor of sun-dried peppers and chicken in this stew, a close cousin of tortilla soup. The aroma rising from the pot is a reward all in itself with this dish, which we prepare when the temperature drops and we get a craving for something spicy, nourishing, and warm. And if we happen to get snowed in, chances are we have the ingredients in the cupboard or the fridge: canned hominy, dried chiles, chicken broth, a tomato, leftover chicken. Even the limes and cilantro in the garnish (you could substitute parsley) are standard ingredients in the crisper drawer of our fridge or at the corner store.

Though other varieties (mulato, ancho, guajillo) will do, pasilla chiles are worth seeking out for their raisiny, earthy flavor and mild heat. Rinsing the extra starch off canned hominy is an important step: doing so washes away