Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 clove garlic
• 1 pound tomatoes
• 4 ounces red pepper, seeded
• 4 ounces celery
• 4 ounces onion
• 6 ounces fennel
• 6 ounces fresh corn, cut from the cob
• 2 ounces olive oil
• 6 ounces cucumber, peeled and seeded
• 1 cup V-8 or tomato juice
• ½ cup shrimp or lobster stock
• 1½ ounces balsamic vinegar
• 3 ounces extra virgin olive oil
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• ½ teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 2 teaspoons cilantro, chopped
• 1½ Tablespoons chives, thinly sliced
• 8 ounces Dungeness crabmeat

Method:
Preheat oven to 350º F. Rub the garlic and half of the tomatoes, peppers, celery, onions, and fennel with olive oil and roast in oven until al dente. Roast half of the corn in oven, cool slightly, shuck and cut kernels from cobs. Purée roasted vegetables in a blender or food processor. Finely dice remaining raw vegetables, except for corn. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl and adjust seasonings to taste. Ladle soup into 4 bowls. Place 2 ounces of crabmeat in center of each bowl and serve.

Wine Pairing:
A zesty Italian white such as the Gini Soave Classico 2002