Cold Zucchini Soup

Today was just one of those perfect days. The weather was great, we got a lot done without feeling like we were running around, had a nice relaxing dinner outside, and capped off the evening with fireworks at a local carnival. The poor dogs have been pacing for the last half-hour or so … they are not fans of fireworks.

Everyone had a beauty day today, right down to the dogs. They both went to the groomers to get bathed and trimmed. Nicholas got a hair cut and so did I. Nicholas has great curly hair, especially when it’s humid out. Unfortunately, The Husband is a fan of short hair cuts in the summer time. As he left, I reminded him “not too short.” Of course, he comes back, and Nicholas’ hair is pretty darn short. Yeah, I know, it will grow back, but in the meantime, I miss the curls. Wait ’till my Mom sees it though – she’s worse than me on hanging on to the curls!

Took Nicholas to a farm today for an afternoon outing. He had a great time feeding the goats, sheep and rabbits, singing “Old MacDonald” all the while. The farm also had great, inexpensive produce, freshly made pies and danishes, herbs, flowers and more.

Up close and personal

Feeding the goats

One of Nicholas’ main dinner requests is macaroni and cheese, followed closely by chicken nuggets and hot dogs. Although Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and Velveeta’s version has its place, I wanted to show him there were alternatives, so we made a homemade version today. We added a bowl of fresh watermelon, and had a great meal outside.

Sweetnicks’ Cheesy Macaroni

I’ve had a few recipe requests recently, and didn’t want them to get lost in the comments section, so I put one (the Cold Zucchini Soup) recipe below. The Summery Pasta Salad recipe will follow tomorrow.

Until then, I’ll leave you with a little factoid. Did you know that The Rock’s favorite snack food is a Dunkin’ Donuts glazed donut topped with more sugar eaten with ice cream? If it was that easy to keep in such fine shape, we should all be heading over to the donut shop now! Seems to be working for him. :)

Cold Zucchini Soup
4 young, dark green zucchini (6-7 inches long)
1 green bell pepper
3 medium onions
2 large garlic cloves
4 tablespoons butter
salt
freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
fresh chives or parsley, minced

Slice 3 zucchini, green pepper and onions. Mince the garlic. Saute the vegetables in 3 tablespoons of the butter over very low heat in a heavy pot. Cook, stirring often, about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but have not browned. Add salt and pepper to taste and thyme. Stir in the chicken broth and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice (do not peel) the remaining zucchini and saute it briefly in 1 tablespoon butter until barely tender and still bright green. This should take about 3 minutes – stir and watch closely that it doesn’t overcook and go mushy. Immediately turn the sliced vegetables out onto a plate to cool quickly. Reserve. Cool the soup slightly and puree it in a blender. Stir in the cream and the sliced cooked zucchini. Adjust the seasoning – the soup should be rather highly seasoned as chilling intensifies the flavor. Chill covered for 24 hours and serve with a scattering of fresh herbs (chives of parsley).