You wake up and it is cloudy, there is construction all over the city, and no one really wants to do anything. What to do? Make soup. 

Thankfully, motivation is not hard for me when I need to create something in my kitchen, and with the basic skills I have been afforded growing up, I seem to be able to easily concoct soups that make people happy and coming back for more. While I am not a tremendous lover and eater of soups, I do enjoy the process of creating and sharing them.

Saturday at the market, my friend Vicky asked if I had ever tried cucumber soup. “Of course, I love cucumber soup" was the obvious reply. "Do you want to make some?" She then handed me some lovely cucumbers and Swiss mint from her farm, which of course I accepted. "I can't say no to you", was my thanks, and she gave me that country girl smile and replied "that’s just what I like to hear". 

The same morning, my friend Sarah (@jo_jo_ba) showed up to the market with some goodies from her back yard, where they have quite the mini-farm of their own up in north Oshawa. In the bag were some gorgeous horseradish greens that remind me of a mix between Swiss Chard and Dinosaur Kale. A quick peek in my fridge and freezer when I got home qualified my belief that I had the makings of something quite tasty. 

2 soups, coming up!

Potato-Horserasish Green-Bacon Soup

• Olive oil
• Fat back or bacon for rendering and flavour
• 4-6 cups of chopped horseradish greens
• 5-6 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 garlic scapes
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 tbs flour
• Water to cover 

• Render the fat from the bacon in the olive oil
• Add onion and scapes and cook until translucent
• Mix in greens and cook until tender, about 5 minutes
• Add flour and cook for an additional minute
• Add the remainder of ingredients and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes
• Add in batches to a blender or Cuisinart and blend thoroughly
• Serve with some cream and crumbled bacon

Cucumber, Swiss Mint Soup

• 5-6 medium cucumbers, not the waxy variety. Unpeeled and chopped
• 2 cups onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 250 ml Half&Half Cream
• 250 ml water
• 1 cube of vegetable or chicken stock
• S&P
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1-2 tbs of hot sauce, I used Sriracha

• Throw everything in a blender or Cuisinart and blend for a few minutes
• Adjust flavours and serve chilled with a mint sprig