Cold cucumber soup

In the grips of a mega-heatwave with air quality alerts and heat advisories and air conditioners cranked to the max, and ironed-out cats and sweating husbands...

...you make cold cucumber soup to calm everybody down.

As to consistency, your eyes and tongue will tell you when the consistency is the way you like it. A lot depends on the size and juiciness of the cucumbers and the yogurt you use, so you may want to adjust quantities and add more or less stock: This is like vichyssoise, thick, but liquid...

Cold Cucumber soup: Makes one big jugful.

2 Medium cucumbers, about 10" long, peeled, seeded, chopped.
2 cloves of garlic, crushed with salt
3 scallions, white parts chopped
Small handful of fresh mint leaves
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 cup thick plain yogurt
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 cup cool chicken stock

Whizz this all in batches in a blender till smooth then taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Chill it thoroughly in the fridge. I serve it from a thin ceramic jug, into glasses.

I could see substituting the cream and yogurt with buttermilk, too.

And there is another way: Cucumber, yogurt, garlic, whizz. The result is austere but refreshing...

It beats the heat.