Two years after starting this blog, I am about to write the first post! And what has been coming to me, lately, are food ideas. With the harvest heavy upon me, and too many cucumbers, tomatoes and other things, I am faced with the constant challenge of using up this abundance in a productive and delicious way. So... stories later and food now.

The first entry: Cucumber Soup.

Caveat: I am not a follower of recipes. I take a look at what I have on hand and figure out what I can do to make something delicious. The recipes that will be included in this blog are places to start, and I encourage you to change the "recipe" depending on what you have in YOUR pantry or fridge or sitting on you kitchen counter because you have run out of storage.

I had a WAY overabundance of cucumbers this year. And finding them... well, it was a little like an Easter Egg hunt. They would hide amongst the leaves only to be found weeks later, GIANTLY overripe. Some people might have chucked it on the compost, but that seems shameful. So, here's what I did.

• Peel giant, misshapen, or slightly aging cakes that you wouldn't usually use for pretty eating or pickles. 
• Scoop out the seeds and discard and chop cucumbers into largish cubes.
• Depending on how many cucumbers you use, peel and chop between 1 and three onions and saute till translucent in a little salt and some olive oil. You can saute longer and caramelize them which will give a richer and sweeter flavor. 
• Chop and add between 1 and 3 potatoes. I had lots of teensy baby potatoes from my garden this year that weren't much good for storing, so I used about 2 cups of them with 1 large onion and about 7 cukes. Saute with onions for a few minutes.
• Add cukes and between 4-6 (or more if you are large batching) veggie stock (or chicken if you are not a vegetarian as I am)You can add herbs to the stock if you want. Thyme is great. Dill if you like. I avoided garlic because it took away from the sweet and fresh flavor. 
• Bring to a boil and simmer till potatoes are soft. Set aside till cool.
• Puree in a blender or use my new favorite tool, an immersion blender, till blended to your taste. Longer for really creamy and less so if you like a little texture.
• Store in fridge and serve hot or cold.
• Add a little heavy cream if you want, or a dollop[ of yogurt. The Greek kind is great. garnish with fresh herbs if you want, like chives, lemon thyme, or basil.

Enjoy with a nice loaf of crusty bread, a mozzarella and tomato and basil salad, and a bottle of white wine. Ah... summer!