Cold Cucumber Soup from CSA member Colleen Burns

A great summer soup. MAKES 8 SERVINGS

3 Tbsp        butter

1 cup          chopped onion

4                 large garlic cloves, minced

3 cups        chicken broth or vegetable broth

4 cups         seeded, diced, unpeeled cucumber (2 medium)

1 cup          chopped swiss chard or spinach

1 cup          sliced, peeled potatoes

1 Tbsp        fresh lemon juice

1/2 tsp        salt or more to taste

1/4 tsp        freshly ground pepper

tsp each      basil & dill (optional)

1 cup          table cream

Heat the butter in large saucepan & saute onions & garlic until soft. (don’t let brown). Add broth, cucumber, swiss chard or spinach, potato, lemon juice, salt & pepper. Simmer, covered times 10 minutes till potato is soft.

Either put batches of the mixture thru the blender or food processor to puree. Transfer mixture to a bowl. Add more spices if desired. Let cool. Add cream and serve in chilled bowls.

Enjoy!

Every week continues to be filled up with events here at Orchard Hill Farm. On Wednesday, July 17th we had a Ecological Farmers of Ontario Field Day to demonstrate how Draft Horses can be successfully used for a small vegetable operation. It was an interesting day for participants despite the intense heat! Bill raked the wheat straw at the same time and we were able to get it into the barn the next day without any rain on it! The apprentices enjoyed throwing around straw after the heavier hay of the week before.

On Monday, we harvested our 2013 garlic crop using our Suffolk Punch horses to plough out the garlic with the riding plough. It worked like a charm and we had all nine – 375 foot rows ploughed out, tied together in bundles and hung up in the barn to dry in three hours. That is a record! Using the riding plough was a great improvement. Here are some pictures of the event!