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Рецепт A soup and a side...My Chilled Cucumber Soup and Marinated Summer Vegetables
by Monte Mathews

A

bowl of chilled soup can really start a summer meal off right.

Make enough of it, and anytime you

want, there’s a bowl of cool comfort waiting in the fridge. As to today’s side, it’s a terrific way to

have vegetables on hand and at the ready.

You do a simple roast of the farm stand’s best, then while

warm douse them with a marinade with just enough garlic and fresh oregano to

give them some lift. I wish I could say

the Cucumber soup was farm stand material. The recipe calls for something from

fairly far away. All the way from a greenhouse in California.

Far from the Farm Stand As

far I can see the English Cucumber has about much to do with England as the

English Muffin—both triumphs of American marketing! All cucumbers came to us via India

but cucumbers have been cultivated virtually everywhere on earth for hundreds

of years. The English Cucumber is an

ordinary everyday cousin of the common cuke. That being said, they’re prized

for their thin, edible skin and their relative seedless-ness. And that’s why they’re used here: Half the cucumber is pureed, the other half

goes into the soup in a dice. Greek yogurt adds to the cool. Dill greens it further. And never leave out the croutons. They’re a

whole reason to keep days old bread.

They’re a snap to make.

I

can’t get enough of summer’s best vegetables.

They’re glorious right now. So I

doubled a recipe I’d seen in Bon Appetit. This is the kind of thing that you

yogurt and the Vegetable Broth, stirring with a whisk. Set aside.

In a food processor with the metal

blade attached, puree ½ the peeled, diced cucumber, the scallions, 2 tbsp.

dill, 2 tbsp. parsley.

Add the cucumber mixture to the

large bowl of yogurt and stock and add the juice ½ lemon, 2 tsp. of salt. Whisk to combine.

Refrigerate 1 hour. When served, garnish each bowl with chopped

dill and croutons.

I keep bread in the house even if I

am the only one eating it. It’s just not

home without bread. So I inevitably end

up with ends of loaves that are too far gone for a sandwich but which make the

best breadcrumbs and crostini and as here, croutons. You cube the bread, pre heat the oven, toss

the breadcubes in olive oil and into the oven they go. I can’t give you quantities

here but for enough croutons for this recipes, you’ll want about 7 a bowl, so

count your croutons. The crispy bits float on the soup and give you more crunch

than say, a cucumber.

Days Old Bread – preferably a

European style loaf.

Garlic Cloves, Halved, rubbed over

the bread slices.

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees.

Slice bread at least ½ inch thick

then cube it so all the pieces

are relatively the same size.

With your hands, toss the bread to

coat lightly with olive oil.

Put the croutons in a single layer

on a baking sheet. Sprinkle generously

with salt and pepper.

Put the croutons in the oven,

checking every 5 minutes on their progress and turning them at the first 5

minute mark. You want them to be golden brown not burned. Depending on size, they may be done in 10

minutes, or as mine were, at 15.

Recipe for Marinated Summer Vegetables adapted from Bon Appetit

12 Portions. Active Time. 30

minutes. Total Time. 1 ½ hours.

2 Yellow summer

squash and 2 zucchini (about 4 pounds), sliced on a diagonal 1/2" thick

6 red, orange, or

yellow bell peppers, cut into 1" strips

8 tablespoons

extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Kosher salt, freshly

ground pepper

4 tablespoons Sherry

or red wine vinegar

Place

racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 475°. Place squash and

peppers on separate baking sheets. Drizzle each sheet of vegetables with 1/2

tablespoons oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

Spread

out in a single layer, turning peppers skin side up.

Roast

peppers on upper rack and squash on lower rack, turning squash once, until

tender, 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly; remove skins from peppers.

Whisk

garlic, vinegar, and remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large bowl; season with

salt and pepper. Add vegetables and oregano; toss to coat. Cover and let sit at

least 1 hour.

DO

AHEAD: Vegetables can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and chill; bring to room

temperature before serving.