Ahhhh - summer has officially arrived here at the Three Sticks Adobe in Sonoma, and things could not be lovelier. On the hunt for something fabulous to enjoy, we recently sampled the Three Sticks 2014 Sonoma Mountain "One Sky" Vineyard Chardonnay paired with a chilled corn soup recipe from Executive Chef Armando Navarro of El Dorado Kitchen. This combo is TO DIE FOR - we had to share it with you.

(Note: when the recipe arrived from Chef Navarro, he said it "makes a large amount." We've translated this into "serving 10-12", but really, it makes a enormous amount so feel free to cut in half if that better suits your needs.)

Chilled Corn Soup
from Chef Armando Navarro
Pair with 2014 Three Sticks Sonoma Mountain "One Sky" Vineyard Chardonnay
Serves 10-12 as main dish

15 ears of farm fresh white or yellow corn
2 large yellow onions, roughly chopped
2 large leeks, bottoms only, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste
½ gallon corn cream
1 gallon corn stock
Chili oil (optional)
Bioche croutons (optional)
Chopped chives (optional)

Directions
Shuck corn from husks, and then cut off the kernels with a knife. Set kernels aside and place 10 of the cobs into a pot with one gallon of water and the other 5 into a pot with ½ gallon of cream. Cook both for about 1 hour on low heat, then strain out the cobs, reserving the liquid from both pots.

In a very large soup pot, heat the olive oil over low heat, then add the chopped onions and leeks and salt and pepper. Sweat the onions and leeks, stirring occasionally, until very tender and breaking up. Add the corn kernels and sweat them down for about 15 minutes. Next, add the corn stock and corn cream and cook on low heat for 45 minutes. Purée contents and adjust seasoning.

Serve warm or chilled. If desired, finish with a light drizzle of chili oil, brioche croutons & chives.

About Chef Navarro:

Executive Chef, Armando Navarro, has had a noteworthy resume packed with top restaurants along both coasts. After five plus years as Executive Sous Chef at Auberge du Soleil, Armando went to New York where he trained under some of the best chefs at Le Bernardin, Jean Georges and Daniel Boulud. He returned to California and worked at Jardiniere and Masa's before relocating to Redd in Yountville as the Chef de Cuisine. Prior to joining Sonoma’s El Dorado Kitchen, Armando was the Executive Chef at Larkspur Restaurant in Vail, Colorado.

In his role as Executive Chef of El Dorado Kitchen and El Dorado Wine Bar, Armando has infused the menus with seasonal ingredients sourced locally at the markets. His style is characterized as fresh, simple and approachable with a Sonoma sensibility.