King Louis XV of France, being convinced that someone was trying to poison his food, accidentally invented Vichyssoise. Apparently, he made his servants taste everything before he ate it and his favorite hot leek-and-potato soup eventually arrived at his place setting, cold.

Nonsense.

It may sound classically French, but Vichyssoise was invented in New York and only in 1917, albeit by a French chef. Louis Diat was working at the Ritz-Carlton on Madison Avenue and prepared his mother's classic Potage Bonne Femme, a hot leek-and-potato soup, for the inaugural opening of the garden roof restaurant. Since the day was warm, he blended it, added cream, and served it cold, naming it after the town where he was born, Vichy.

Pea vichyssoise gives a contemporary twist to a great summer soup. Drizzle it with a lemon and oil emulsion for an added kick.

10 ounces frozen peas (one sack)
2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup whipping cream
Additional whipping cream and chopped fresh chives for topping if not using the lemon-oil emulsion

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks and sauté three minutes. Add garlic and sauté one minute. Add potatoes and the stock. Bring to the boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer until potatoes are very tender,stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add peas. Cover and cook 3-5 more minutes until just tender. Working in batches, purée soup in blender then press through a fine sieve. This takes effort! Pour into a bowl to cool then cover and chill in the fridge.

To serve, stir the cup of cream into the soup, thinning the soup with more stock to reach a table cream consistency if necessary. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with additional cream and garnish with chives or with the following emulsion.

For the lemon-oil emulsion

1 lemon
1/4 pint extra virgin olive oil

Pick any seeds out of the lemon. Squeeze into a bowl and scrape in the lemon pulp. Beat in the olive oil in a thin stream to incorporate into an emulsion and pour into a jug to drizzle over the vichyssoise.