A Special Summer Soup To Help Bring the Weather

Mother Smith has been in the kitchen again, this time with a creation we'll call Mother Smith's World Famous Cucumber-Bell Pepper-Rosemary Soup and Bug Repellant. (Just kidding about the last part.)

It's probably a little cool for this chilled soup right now, but maybe the weather boys will get the hint and send a little sunshine and Mexico warmth up this was in a day or so. The soup goes well with the warm weather, but it's mighty tasty any time.

Here's how you make it:

Ingredients:

2 cucumbers
2 stalks of celery
2 Vidalia onion tops
1/4 cup virgin (or at least "good girl") olive oil
1/2 large red bell pepper
1 cup sour cream
2 sprigs of mint
2 sprigs dill
1 clove garlic
2 cups of plain yogurt (your choice on full-fat)
2 cups sour cream (your choice on full-fat)
1 cup buttermilk
1 tbsp lime juice
1/4 cup white vinegar (I prefer white balsamic here)
1/4 cup cilantro or parsely
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Mixing it all together:

Peel and core the cukes, then chop them into squares; chop the celery and onions. Toss them, with the dill, mint and garlic, into a food processor with the oil. Puree the hell out of them. You can strain the pulp off if you're a wimp, but I prefer to have it in the soup. Keeps me regular, if you must know.

Whip all this into the sour cream, yogurt, buttermilk and lime juice and chop the bell pepper and cilantro over it. Whip it again with a wisk. Garnish with the cilantro.

Eat. Use a big spoon.