Among the many failures of corporate media coverage of this #climatecatastrophe, reporting on what’s happening with local farmers ranks near the top. You go to the Greenmarket and everything is different and no one but Greenmarket shoppers is informed why. Instead, we get stories on baking your own baguettes when the heat index is 105 and pro bakers are taking many for the whole team.
The other day I stopped to read the sign explaining that Samascott’s peaches this summer are purchased from another farm since they were hit by frost and spotted the hugest cucumbers I’ve ever seen, for $1 apiece. And visions of Moosewood’s chilled cucumber-yogurt soup started dancing in my heat-addled head.
You peel, seed* and chop 4 cups’ worth of cucumber and puree that with 2 cups water, 2 cups whole-milk yogurt and 1 tablespoon honey, then stir in 2 cloves Microplaned garlic, 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste. Mollie Katzen calls for mint and dill in the mix and chopped scallions as garnish, but I added a large, seeded, chopped jalapeño to the blender and a big handful of chopped chives to the soup.
As good as it was the first dinner, it was even better after a night in the refrigerator. And even better than better with a little pecan pesto swirled in.
*Grapefruit spoon is the best cucumber seeder.
FITTOC 