FOOD : This Summer, Be Fruitful : Fresh Apricots, Strawberries and Juices Flavor Two Unusual Soups

COOKING WITH fruit is relatively uncommon in this country. With the exception of applesauce, fruit rarely appears before dessert.

Confining fruit to the finale in this way reflects a peculiarly American prejudice; the Moroccans, for example, stew poultry with prunes, the Armenians put apricots into pilaf, and the Indians and Chinese make condiments out of mangoes, peaches and plums. Perhaps the only explanation for our parochial approach to meal planning is that the people who most profoundly influenced American cooking came from countries where the only fruit enjoyed at supper was the grape--served pressed and fermented.

Whatever its roots, this bias has deprived us, particularly with regard to fruit soups. Savored in places as diverse as Denmark (apple soup), Hungary (cherry soup) and Senegal (banana), fruit soups simply haven’t caught on here.

In the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America in Cambridge, Mass., one of the nation’s largest public culinary collections, the earliest fruit soup recipe appears in “Mrs. S. T. Rorer’s 20 Quick Soups,” dated 1894. It’s a questionable concoction of currants that are soaked, mashed, pressed through a sieve and thickened with arrowroot. The original edition of “The Fannie Farmer Cookbook,” the definitive American cookbook, has no recipes for fruit soups, although a few of Farmer’s fruit-punch formulas seem similar to some of the recipes featured in Olive Green’s 1907 collection, “1,999 Simple Soups.” Green shows a preference for spirited soups--fruit juices laced with sherry, claret or liqueur--demonstrating that the distinction between fruit punch and soup can be left to the cook’s discretion and may ultimately depend on whether it’s served with a spoon or a swizzle stick.

When the texture and flavors are as rich as what follows, there’s no doubt that “soup” applies. A broth of dried fruit, soaked and pureed in fruit juice, provides a flavorful base for these two seasonal first courses.

STRAWBERRY SOUP

16 ounces unfiltered apple juice4 dried peaches1 pint strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced 1/2 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk1 tablespoon lemon juiceSliced strawberries, for garnish1 tablespoon lemon zest, for garnish Soak dried peaches in apple juice for at least 3 hours or overnight in refrigerator. Transfer to nonreactive medium saucepan, and simmer gently until peaches turn mushy and juice thickens, about 10 minutes.

Puree strawberries in blender or food processor. Add juice and peaches, and blend until smooth. Add yogurt or buttermilk and blend again. Chill for at least 3 hours.

Just before serving, stir in lemon juice. Garnish with additional sliced strawberries and a sprinkle of lemon zest. Makes 4-6 servings.

APRICOT SOUP

16 ounces orange juice4 dried apricots1 bay leaf1/4 cup chopped mild red onion1 pound fresh apricots2/3 cup half-and-halfGround nutmegGround ginger Soak dried apricots in orange juice 3 hours or overnight in refrigerator. Transfer to nonreactive medium saucepan, and add bay leaf and onion. Simmer gently until onion turns mushy, about 10 minutes.

Bring large pot of water to boil, and plunge in fresh apricots for about 15 seconds or until skins slip off easily. Skin and pit the apricots, transfer to blender or food processor and puree.

Remove bay leaf from orange juice mixture, and add juice to apricot puree. Blend until smooth. Add half-and-half and blend again. Chill at least 3 hours. Just before serving, stir in a pinch each of nutmeg and ginger. Makes 4-6 servings.