Chilled Cucumber Soup

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4 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 - 2 c water
2 c plain yogurt (or half sour cream)
1 clove garlic, peeled
several mint leaves
2 tbsp fresh dill
1-2 tsp salt
1 tbsp honey
2 scallions, finely chopped

Combine the chopped cucumber, 1 c water, yogurt, garlic, mint, dill, honey, and 1 tsp salt in a blender or food processor. Puree the ingredients, adding more of the water until the soup is a consistency you like. Season with more salt to taste. Transfer the soup to a large bowl and chill for several hours. Garnish each serving with chopped scallions.

This one comes is from the Farmer John Cookbook (available at our Farm Shop), and Karen made it on Tuesday - she says its the same as every other cucumber soup - really delicious and great on hot days. I won't say that the kids LOVED it, but they definitely ate it without too many grimaces.

Spicy Cooked Carrot Salad

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2 pounds carrots
1/3 cup olive oil, plus extra to finish
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 chile, finely chopped (and seeded, if you want less heat)
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped preserved lemon
Salt
2 1/2 cups cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped, plus extra to garnish
1/2 cup yogurt, chilled (try Sidehill Farm yogurt in the farm shop)

 Peel the carrots and cut them, into cylinders one-half-inch thick. Place in a large saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer until tender but still crunchy, about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and leave to dry out.Heat the oil in a large pan and saute the onion over medium heat until soft and slightly brown, about 12 minutes. Add the cooked carrots to the onion, followed by the sugar, garlic, chile, onion, cloves, ground ginger, coriander, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, vinegar and preserved lemon.Remove from the heat. Season liberally with salt, stir well and leave to cool. Before serving, stir in the cilantro, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Serve in individual bowls with a dollop of yogurt, a drizzle of oil and a garnish of the extra cilantro.

Recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, Jersusalem.

Cucumber Raita

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1 large cucumber (about 1/2 pound) cut in half, seeds removed.
1 cup plain yogurt (try Sidehill Farm from the farm shop)
1/8 teaspoon cayenne (more to taste)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon garam masala (more to taste)
1 small chile, minced (optional)


 Grate cucumber on the large holes of a grater. Sprinkle with a generous amount of salt, toss and let sit in a colander in the sink for 15 minutes. Rinse briefly and squeeze dry in a kitchen towel. Transfer to a bowl. Beat the yogurt with a fork or a whisk and add the cayenne and garam masala. Toss with the cucumbers. Add the cilantro and chile and toss again. Taste and adjust salt. Chill until ready to serve. Serve with any kind of curried stew, with meat and rice, or just plain!

Recipe from The New York Times

Beet Dip

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6 medium beets (1 1/2 pounds), trimmed
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 small red chile, seeded and minced
1 cup strained yogurt (try Sidehill Yogurt from the farm shop)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 Tbsp pure maple syrup (try Dufresne Sugar House from the farm shop)
1 tablespoon zaatar
2 tablespoons goat cheese (try Westfield Chevre from the farm shop)
2 scallions, thinly sliced
salt, to taste, and warm bread, for serving (try El Jardin or Bread Euphoria in the farm shop)


 Preheat the oven to 350°. Put ¼ cup of water in a roasting pan, add beets and cover with foil. Roast for 1 hour, til tender. Let cool, at least slightly. Peel the beets and transfer to a food processor. Add garlic, chile, and yogurt and pulse til blended. (To make strained yogurt: put 1.5 cups of yogurt in cheesecloth and squeeze gently.) Add olive oil, maple syrup, zaatar and puree. Season with salt. Scatter goat cheese and scallions on top.

Recipe from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi, Jersusalem.

Cold Cucumber, Barley, Yogurt and Dill Soup

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Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked and cooled barley or spelt berries (cook 3/4 cups of barley in 1 3/4 cup water by bringing to boil, turning down to simmer with lid on and cooking until done - approx. 40 minutes)

1 cucumber, roughly chopped (remove seeds if you do not like them)

1 clove garlic

1 Tablespoon fresh dill, chopped fine

1 cup plain yogurt

3/4 cup water or cold vegetable stock

hot pepper (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Puree cucumber, dill, hot pepper (if desired), yogurt and water or stock until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in barley and chill for at least an hour for best flavor (though you can serve right away). Place a few slices of cucumber and a sprinkling of dill on just before serving.