Mmm..., Strawberry Soup

from a recipe by Shuna Fish Lydon, pastry chef, featured in "edible San Francisco"

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 (750-mL) bottle chardonnay, rose, or ice wine
2 generous cups cold water
4 cups sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
6 pints organic strawberries

In a large, stainless steel pot, bring wine to boil over high heat.
Add water and sugar.

Lower heat to medium-high and bring to boil again.
Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

If strawberries are overly dirty, wash with a brief blast of cold water. Set aside 16 to 20 of the best looking berries for garnish.
Stem the remaining berries by hand.

Using a blender, puree the strawberries in small batches with 1/2 cup of the wine sauce and 1/4 cup filtered water.
Add more or less sauce or water according to taste.
Strain puree in a fine-meshed sieve. Stir in more wine sauce or more water, 1/2 cup at a time, until a thick, sauce-like consistency is reached.

Cover and chill the soup for one hour in refrigerator before serving.
Garnish with reserved strawberries.

Strawberry soup will keep for one week refrigerated in a nonreactive, tightly covered container.