When you begin a meal with this refreshing soup, guests always have room for more. Poured from a jumbo Thermos, this soup adds a surprising elegance to the Company Picnic menu.
It’s also a nice prelude to Tandoori-Marinated Butterflied Leg of Lamb from Dining Out. Or if you’re really in a time bind, just make the soup and follow up with spicy Indian takeout. Feel free to substitute dill for the mint garnish. Serves 8
4 large cucumbers
1 1/2 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
2 garlic cloves, very finely minced
1 1/2 cups plain low-fat yogurt
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground white or black pepper to taste
1 bunch mint, leaves only, finely slivered
1. Peel the cucumbers and cut them lengthwise in half. Scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon or a melon baller and discard. Cut the cucumbers into 1-inch chunks.
2. Combine half the cucumbers and 1/4 cup of the stock in a food processor and process, scraping down the sides of the bowl a few times, until the cucumbers are very finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining cucumbers and another 1/4 cup of the stock. Add the garlic and yogurt to the cucumbers and stir until well blended. Stir in the remaining 1 cup stock, the salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, until cold. (The soup can be made up to 1 day ahead).
3. Just before serving, season the soup with salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into shallow bowls and garnish each serving with a sprinkling of mint.
Vintage trays gather dust in secondhand shops and hide in boxes at yard sales, but they are versatile collectibles that instantly make a party portable. There is no shortage of metal cocktail trays from the forties through the sixties, many printed with recipes for drinks or with repeat motifs like clocks and roosters. Mini promotional trays from the past, given out at tourist stops like motels and gas stations, feature lithographed scenes and vistas; their diminutive size is perfect for transporting little bites from kitchen to outdoor table.
Humble old wooden trays are another option. Make wooden trays your own by painting them with oil-based paint or by decoupaging them.
Courtesy of Mary Engelbreit’s Dining Out
