Soup

In the summertime, it turns out I like my soup served like my revenge: cold. This delightful cold cucumber crab soup comes courtesy of my friend Susanne. The taste is almost identical to Greek tzaziki sauce (but that's understandable with the plain yogurt/garlic/cucumber base). The crab adds just the right texture and gives it a little more substance. Now, I should explain that this was served at a book club lunch. And this is no ordinary group. It's a book club that consists of art museum docents (of which I am one) yet, I am neither a reader nor an art lover.  And we only read books related to art. Confused? You won't be...for what I do savor is good food and robust intellectual discourse, both of which are equally and adequately satiated at each meeting.  We are like sisters from a lot of different misters and share a bond thicker than water, stranger than fiction.

I don't think they had parental guidance is suggested in the 70s. Oh, wait, no Soap (ABC, 1977-81) was the first TV show in history to be preempted by a "viewer discretion" warning. And it aired at 930pm. I was 12 years old and watched every episode. Confused? You won't be if you are a regular reader of this blog (or know my mother). The story of a modern family which consisted of two sisters and their dysfunctional blended broods delved into marriage, infidelity, murder, homosexuality (in fact, Billy Crystal played the first openly gay character on TV), mental illness, demonic possession, well the list goes on and on. Purportedly a comedic spoof on daytime drama, Soap repeatedly purposefully jumped the shark all with tongue firmly in cheek. Each episode ended with the cliffhanger questions:  "Will this blog survive?" "Will anyone make this delicious soup recipe?" "Will anyone care if I quit?"  These questions - and many others - will be answered in the next episode of In My Kitsch-en.

The Recipe:

4 cucumbers (about 2 1/4 lb. total), peeled, seeded, and chopped 

2 cups plain yogurt

3/4 cup sour cream 

1/2 cup chopped green onions (white and pale green parts only) 

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper

6 ounces shelled cooked crab

In a blender or food processor, in batches if necessary, whirl cucumbers, yogurt, sour cream, green onions, dill, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and mustard until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and chill until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.

Ladle chilled soup evenly into bowls. Top each serving with about 1/4 cup crab.