Serves 8
Soup
6 each cucumber, peeled and seeded
1 pint plain yogurt
1 ½ lemons, juice of cayenne
Salt and pepper
Sweet and Sour Cucumbers
1 each bay leaves
½ cup rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp. rice wine vinegar
¼ cup sugar
½ each jalapeño, seeded and chopped fine
½ each red onion, quartered and sliced thinly
½ each fennel bulb, halved and sliced thinly
½ tsp. crushed pink pepper
3 each cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced 1/8 inch thick
1 small yellow tomato dices
Dill Oil
½ cup water cress
½ cup Italian parsley
½ cup dill
16 oz. blended oil
Garnish
Sweet & sour cucumbers
Dill oil
Dill sprigs
½ pint radish sprouts
Directions
Blanch greens in boiling water for 15 seconds then place in ice water. Squeeze out as much liquid as possible and puree in a blender with the oil. Let rest overnight. Strain out the pulp and let rest so that any excess water will float to the top. Tip off any water that may appear.
Cut the cucumber into 1 inch pieces. Place cucumber pieces, yogurt and lemon juice into a blender and purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Bring bay leaves, vinegars, sugar and jalapeño to a boil. Simmer for 3 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and let rest over night.
Fill a soup plate with the soup. Place one tablespoon of sweet and sour cucumber in the center of the bowl and a small bush of radish sprouts on top. Sprinkle a small amount of diced tomato and dill sprigs around the sprouts and drizzle with a small amount of dill oil.