White almond cold soup with grapes (Ajoblanco)

1. If using skin-on almonds, put them in boiling water for 2 minutes, then slip off the brown skins – white almonds give the soup its snow-white colour.

2. Soak the crustless bread in a little water, then squeeze it out.

3. Grind the almonds with the garlic and a pinch of salt in a blender to a fine paste.

4. Add the bread and part of the water and blend until smooth; with the motor running, drizzle in the olive oil in a thin stream, then the sherry vinegar and the rest of the cold water, until you have a silky, milky soup.

5. Push through a sieve, season with salt and vinegar and chill for at least 2 hours.

6. Serve ice-cold, topped with peeled, halved and seeded grapes and a drizzle of olive oil.

Tip: Remove the green sprout from the garlic so the soup isn't sharp – ajoblanco should taste delicate, sweet and nutty.