–I have a mild headache.
–We’re entering summer mode. We had guests a couple of weeks ago, but as of Wednesday it’s basically non-stop until September. Cold soups will feature heavily, including an excellent one I’ve recently discovered:
For 4
2 cucumbers (peeled)
20 cl of milk
1 pot Greek yogurt (or equal quantity of quark if preferred)
A handful of mint and coriander
Salt & pepper to taste
Put everything in the blender, blend til smooth. If you want it more soup than velouté, add more milk (or stock.) Serve chilled.
–Yesterday I was in the garden thinking I should join in and say something about the fire in Kensington. Then I looked up and thought, what an unattractive building that is across the street. 🤔 Too soon? It’s never too soon. Laughing is all we’ve got.
I spent quite a bit of time in Kensington when I was young(er). I even rented a place there for a while thinking I might want to live in London. Everything that could go wrong went wrong. My then (Scandinavian) boyfriend fell madly out of love with me. He thought (discovered?) I was terribly bourgeois and he didn’t want to eventually turn into one of those people who lives in the countryside and grows peonies. It turns out that is indeed precisely what I became.
I bet the poor thing misses your massive peonies.
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Aren’t they amazing? 😀
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Think pun. 😉
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I did, right before dismissing it 😛
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P.S. Shouldn’t you and Esmerelda be picketing somewhere?
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You do realise I’m ninety fucking three!
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No wonder you’re content.
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“No wonder you’re content.” – HAHAHAHAHAHA
– Esme standing up for all that’s right and throwing sticky buns at Mr Pink upon the Cloud
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Your recipe, absent the milk, is a salad recipe we got from a Greek friend, which goes to show you that with good ingredients, many things are possible. I have always been struck with the amazing varieties of pasta, at least in shapes, as the paste is the same in most. So, just a slight shift in texture makes a different dish. Puree your cukes and you have soup, chop them and you have salad. Life is good.
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There are a number of interesting variations in the Greece/Balkans area. Tarator Cacik- and in Lebanon they do one (I don’t know the name), where instead of yogurt they thicken it with pureed cooked chickpeas.
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Egad … hummus soup?!
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It’s surprisingly good 😀
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Here’s an approximation of the Lebanese soup recipe: https://goodfood.uktv.co.uk/recipe/chickpea-and-mint-soup/
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That really is a very gay flower
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😛
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Aw, c’mon John, gay flowers? Sheesh!
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Exactly. ALL flowers are gay!!!
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I love chilled soup–I usually use dill and a splash of lemon to give my cucumber version some pop. Soon it’ll be tomatoes and peppers for gazpacho. Yea summer!
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Henceforth I’ll be thinking of my peonies as being gay flowers. 🙂
That soup sounds delicious, by the way. Must try.
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Peonies are literally the only flowers I like, but narrowed down to a wild, mountain variety, velvety dark red. I grew up in a North Transylvanian area where some decades ago you could still find them. But Pink, cucumber, milk, yogurt and mint? Oh my cor blimey 👽 Enjoy Nevertheless 🙌
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Here’s the Romanian Peony, in a stamp image http://www.wnsstamps.post/stamps/2011/RO/RO047.11.jpg
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I didn’t know that variety, it’s wonderful!
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On my last post do you think you could explain mathematical truth to Scottie?
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Awow😳😵
Now that is a proper tennis match 🤓
It’s before 6am and I’m right before my shower, tea and driving to University, but allow me the day and I’ll give it a read through and some thought. Very interesting subject, will read for sure 🖖💐
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Ohhh ohhhhh I love a peony! If I ever get married, that’ll be my floral base. Did you know some plants are known to have survived for as long as 100 years?
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Ours were here when we moved in, so I don’t know how old they are, but I know the garden was only altered once in the 50’s. So they’re either around 70 or 90 🙂
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The sunken garden at the old family homestead is full of varietal peonies, they’ve been there all of my lifetime and several decades of my Grand Parents. I’m over 70.
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Adding some dried currants and cumin makes it extra good. ( a Persian version). Also buttermilk instead of regular milk.
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That sounds like a wonderful combination!
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Oh! that recipes sounds a bit like a cucumber raita. Well, except for the milk, and the fact that mine also has quite a bit of crushed garlic in it. Perfect with anything hot, like a curry. Interestingly, Hungarians make a cucumber salad with very thinly sliced cucumber marinated in salt, drained and tossed in garlic and vinegar with a sprinkling of red paprika on top for…garnish I guess.
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I come here for the amusement in the comments section, no lie. I mean, you do have the occasionally interesting post as well 😉 Those ARE lovely PEoNIeS! God i love flowers. Hugs to you ❤
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