Chilled Cucumber Soup

Cucumbers are pouring in this week and looking much better than the first ones the vines produced--the cucumber beetles don't seem to be able to keep up with the production. This year we're growing two varieties: Tasty Jade and Sikkim. Tasty Jade is a long, thick, green cucumber. Sikkim comes to us from the Himalayas of Sikkim and Nepal. It's more round and stout than Tasty Jade and seems more resistant to the cucumber beetle attacks. What's more, it turns a rusty brownish/red when fully ripe (this might be what throws off the beetles!) and doesn't have a hint of bitterness at either end which is something most cucumbers eventually develop. 
With the heat we've all been experiencing lately, we thought a Chilled Cucumber Soup would be just the ticket to bring a bit of a chill back into the house. Easy to make and very satisfying:

Chilled Cucumber Soup
Serves 3-4

2-3 cucumbers
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1/8 cup fresh lemon juice
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup yogurt
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Peel cucumbers and cut them in half, scraping out seeds. Sprinkle the cucumbers with salt and let them stand 30 minutes. Drain excess water.

Chop the cucumbers coarsely and put the pieces in the blender along with scallions, dill, lemon juice, buttermilk, and yogurt. Blend at high speed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Chill well before serving.

Recipe adapted from: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chilled-Cucumber-Soup-15056

Squash!

We grow a variety of squashes at the farm and they're doing very well in this heat: traditional zucchini, cocozelle (striped zucchini), yellow squash, white and yellow pattypan. They can be prepared in a variety of ways, but while they're at the peak of their season I like to use recipes that put the squash front and center. My favorite summer squash recipe couldn't be simpler.

Pan Fried Summer Squash

-Olive oil or butter
-Salt / Pepper
-Squash
-2 Garlic cloves

Cut the squash into 1/2 inch cubes or slice into 1/2 inch rounds. Dice 2 garlic cloves. Heat enough oil / melt enough butter to cover the bottom of a frying pan. When the oil / butter is hot add the squash and cook on high until browned on all sides, add the diced garlic, salt and pepper. Serve and enjoy!