cucumber soup with berry salsa

Molecular gastronomy?  Or just a good way to use up extra produce from the garden?  

I love cucumbers, but I always plant too many, and I’m lazy to make pickles. So my race is on: how many things can I make with cukes; how many can I give away?!? (One thing I do is blend cukes, make ice cubes, put those that go into plastic bags in my freezer for use in smoothies.) But back to this recipe.

Serves 4

SOUP INGREDIENTS

SALSA INGREDIENTS

1 large English cuke or 6-8 small pickling ones (about 4 C) 1 C raw corn kernels
1 ripe Haas avocado, halved, pitted, peeled 1 C diced ripe tomato
1 bunch scallions, coarse chopped 1 bunch  scallions, sliced thinly
2 Tbsp lemon or lime juice another 1 Tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 seeded jalapeno, option 1 C of the freshest berries
1 tsp good salt

Put 1½ C water in your blender.  Add the ingredients from the SOUP column, and blend until smooth.  Combine the SALSA ingredients in a small bowl (save a couple of berries for garnish).  Taste and adjust seasoning in both soup and salsa.  Spoon soup into four deep bowls (there’s lots of salsa).  Top each bowl with ¼ of the salsa.  Sit down to a taste of summer.