A RECIPE FROM THE KITCHEN GARDEN....

July and August brings an abundance of fruit and vegetables from the Kitchen Garden, and with the amazing never ending summer temperatures we have been having, things have been particularly prolific!  

Eating organically and local, whenever possible, has always been so important to me.....and that's really my driving force behind having my own kitchen garden.  My mother always ran a productive kitchen garden at home while I was growing up and it is something I just automatically started as a young wife and mother thirty years ago.  Starting with a modest patch at our first cottage all those years ago, and now a larger 'Potager' with raised beds, that we created ten years ago when we built our home and started developing a blank canvas of a garden.

I admit there are days when the early season preparation of back breaking digging, mulching (ok 'Mr. W' is a star when it comes to help with this!) and never ending weeding do take its toll, but are far outweighed by the wonderful satisfaction of effectively having your very own 'Farm Shop' just meters from ones back door.

Knowing that we and family and friends are eating something so pure and nutritionally bursting with goodness, is what inspires me constantly year after year to keep loving my little plot. 

This summer's high temperatures have brought the joy of eating outside almost every day in recent weeks under the cool of our vine pergola.  Salads,  light dishes of grilled fish or chicken and especially cold soups have been what we have been craving in the heatwave.

With a huge glut of daily cucumber pickings from the greenhouse, I was in search of ideas other than just using them in salads!  Amongst juicing them with celery and apple in the mornings, making this delicious chilled cucumber soup has been the perfect light and cooling lunch.

After posting this on my Instagram @sophiahomeandlifestyle recently, I received so many requests for the recipe, so here it is....super easy and no cooking required!

COLD CUCUMBER SOUP WITH YOGHURT AND DILL

2 large Cucumbers, peeled 

2 cups of greek yoghurt

Juice from 1/2 a lemon

1 small shallot

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup dill

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley leaves

2 tablespoons tarragon leaves

1/4 cup olive oil plus more for drizzling

salt

white pepper

1/2 red onion chopped

peeled prawns for garnish (optional)

***

In a blender, combine cucumber, yoghurt, lemon juice, shallot, garlic, dill, parsley, tarragon and olive oil.  Blend until smooth and season with salt and pepper.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Serve in bowls, garnished with red onion, extra diced cucumber and a drizzle of olive oil.  A few cooked peeled prawns are optional but for me make this extra special!

***

Super delicious and yes, it really is that easy?!

Bon Appétit 

Sophia xx