A green alternative

Chilled cucumber soup, originally uploaded by sloeginfizz.

Looking for a green alternative to gazpacho? Look no further… I had a boatload of cucumbers from the market to deal with yesterday and while I contemplated simply lying down and placing them over my tired eyes, I rallied and decided that a chilled soup sounded good. I had two recipes that looked great. One recipe was much quicker than the other, but I only had the ingredients for the longer one, so my decision was made. It's not that this recipe is difficult, it's just that the other recipe requires no cooking, getting it creaminess from an avocado. But I had never cooked a cucumber before and I was up for the adventure. I am happy to report that it is delicious, creamy and refreshing, and doesn't really take all that long. It came from one of the members of the CSA I was in back on Long Island. Try it!

Cold Cucumber Soup
Adapated from Alexis Sauer-Budge
2 large cucumbers
2 scallions, whites only, sliced (can also use onion)
1 Tb butter
1/2 Tb olive oil
1 Tb flour
1 1/4 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. milk
1 Tb fresh lemon juice
1 tsp dried dill, or more if using fresh
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 c. yogurt
1/4 c. fresh mint, chopped

Peel, seed and slice cucumbers. Melt butter and oil together over medium heat in skillet. Saute cucumbers and scallions together for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lower heat a tad, then add flour and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Heat chicken broth and milk together in a saucepan and stir this slowly into the cucumber mixture. Add lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper. Simmer another 10 minutes, stirring gently until thickened. Puree in blender until smooth. Cool completely. Add yogurt, taste for seasoning, cover and chill for at least six hours. Serve garnished with fresh mint. (Don't skimp on the mint, it really brightens the flavor.)

Stay tuned for details when I go for Cuc soup, round 2. And look for a balcony garden update tomorrow!