Dilled Summer Squash Soup

Total Time: 65 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 medium chopped onion
• 1 chopped celery rib
• 3 peeled and chopped carrots
• 2 ounces (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 1/2 pounds peeled, seeded and chopped yellow crookneck squash or unpeeled, unseeded yellow zucchini
• 1 medium peeled and chopped potato
• 6 cups stock of choice
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill (or to taste)
• 3/4 cup something sour and dairy (creme frache, sour cream, yoghurt)
  
• Salt and pepper

Preparation:

1. In something that will eventually hold everything; saute onion, celery and carrots in butter until onion is translucent. Add squash, potato and stock to pan. Stir, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
   
2. Puree the soup in a food processor or blender. Return to the pan, add dill, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
   
3. before adding the sour dairy, blend it separately with a few ladles of hot soup, mixing well (this "tempers" the cream, allowing it to blend with the soup smoothly) . Add the tempered cream to the hot soup and mix thoroughly. Adjust seasonings. Alternatively, drizzle cold cream on top of soup at service time. (much preferred!!!!)
   
4. Cool soup to room temperature in an ice water bath, and refrigerate, covered, several hours. Serve in chilled bowls or mugs. (or plan ahead, and make at least 24 hours in advance...this lets the flavors blend, and makes for a better dish. Serve the dairy at the last minute)