Cold soups are elegant, refreshing, and supremely versatile. A cold soup can be a sumptuous opener for a fancy dinner, a light but hearty one-dish meal, a delightful way to serve fruit for dessert, or a frosty snack on a sweltering day. Busy cooks love cold soups because they can be made ahead and need no last-minute preparation. They are the perfect way to make use of each season's variety of vegetables and fruits from grocery or garden. Linda Ziedrich has been a cookbook editor for more than fifteen years and is a certified Master Gardener.