— Zuke Soup —
Somewhere around 9,000 years ago, hunter-gatherer Sexy Beasts living in the area we now call Mesoamerica, began the transition to sedentary villages by cultivating foods. These foods included a prolific squash that is the predecessor to the vegetable we call “zucchini.”
In the 1800s clever farmers near Milan, Italy, bred the original squash into the green, cylinder-shaped one we know today. The Italians dubbed it “zucchini” or “little pumpkin.”
It is thought Italian immigrants brought it the U.S. in the 1920s.
According to the University of California at Davis’ agriculture department, if you were to farm zucchini, you could expect to make nearly $4,000 an acre each year.
I think I could have sold my backyard production of zucchini for at least that the one year I grew it. All my neighbors began to hide from me when I showed up on their doorsteps with another boxload.
Zuke Soup can be served chilled for a refreshing summer treat or served warm.
You’ll need:
2 medium zucchini, skins and all.
4 tbsp lemon juice (or the juice of 2 lemons)
½ tsp salt
1 tsp onion powder (or half a medium onion diced)
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp ginger (optional)
10 oz water
1 tbsp ground black pepper (plus enough for garnish)
Do this:
Blend all ingredients until smooth.
Either chill in the refrigerator or heat on low in a microwave for a few minutes before serving. If you don’t want to wait for it to chill before serving, make it with ice water.
Garnish with a slice of lemon if chilled or with a light touch of ground black pepper if served warm.
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Serves: 2 Calories: 35 Satisfaction factor: 60