Photo by Gayle T. Tiller

SERVES SIX • 2 each red, yellow & green peppers, seeded and quartered • 2 small yellow squash, halved and cut into 3” lengths • 3 carrots, peeled, halved, and cut into 3” lengths • 1 head garlic, cloves separated, paper intact • 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced • 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced • 2 stalks celery, diced • 1 small onion, diced • 2 quarts tomato juice • olive oil • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro • 4 tablespoons fresh flat leaf parsley • ½ pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked for shells • ½ cup sour cream • fresh chives, diced

Prepare grill.
Place garlic cloves on a piece of foil, sprinkle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and create a packet, sealing the foil. Place on outside edge of grill rack and grill for 10 to 15 minutes, or until cloves are soft. Toss peppers and squash with 2 tablespoons olive oil and grill until pepper skin is charred. Allow all vegetables to cool; when cool, peel charred skin off peppers and combine all ingredients (except crab, sour cream and chives) in a blender. (For our dinner, we used Black & Decker’s Party Mate™, a battery-operated blender.) Blend in batches until mixture is smooth and season to taste.

TO SERVE: Pour into bowls or glasses and top each with a spoonful of sour cream, 2 to 3 tablespoons of crab and a sprinkling of diced chives.