cold cucumber soup, a great recipe

well, it's hot here in brooklyn today. and when i say hot i mean 94.5 degrees farenheit and climbing. so i've been inspired to break out my cold soup recipes and this is one of my favorites. i love cold soup, but sometimes they are a little too bland. this one has quite the zip because of all the garlic, scallions and chives. feel free to not use so much garlic if it's too much for you. it 's super easy to make and delicious.

6 cucumbers, peel if waxed
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
6 cloves garlic, cooked for 1 min in boiling water, and then peeled
1/4 cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
a few drops of tabasco, or hot chili, sauce
4 cups plain yogurt, regular or low fat
1/2 cup minced chives or scallions
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp walnut oil, suggested but can substitute olive oil
freshly ground white pepper
additional yogurt for garnish, optional
additional minced chives for garnish

1. cut the cucumbers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds with a teaspoon. cut into 1-inch slices and toss with salt. let sit 1 hour at room temperature. rinse well and drain.
2. in a food processor, combine the cucumbers, walnuts, garlic, vinegar, tabasco, and yogurt. process well.
3. stir in the chives, olive oil, and walnut oil. chill for at least 6 hours before serving.
4. before pouring into a chilled picnic thermos (chill by filling with ice water and then pouring out), adjust salt, white pepper, vinegar, and tabasco.
5. add a dollop of yogurt and sprinkle of chives, if desired, to individual portions.