Cold Cucumber-Walnut Soup

1 cup shelled walnuts
6 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and thinly chopped
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 quart buttermilk
1 1/2 tablespoons finely minced dill
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions, including green tops
Juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 cups plain nonfat yogurt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Place walnuts on a cookie sheet. Roast in a preheated 350?F oven for 15 to 20 minutes. When cool, rub walnuts between your palms to remove skins. Chop and set aside.

Mix remaining ingredients together. Put 1/2 to 2/3 of this mixture into a food processor and process until smooth. Return to original bowl. Add walnuts and mix well. Cover bowl and refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

Serves 6.

Seasoned Salt

1 cup salt
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 teaspoons paprika

Season It All

1 (26 ounce) box salt
1 1/2 ounces ground black pepper
2 ounces pure garlic powder
1 ounce chili powder
1 ounce MSG (or Accent?)
2 ounces ground red pepper

Combine above ingredients and mix well. Store in airtight container. Use the seasoning as you would salt.

Seafood Rub

1 1/2 teaspoons ground bay leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground celery seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper

Combine all ingredients; store in an airtight container. Rub on seafood or chicken before grilling.

Sausage Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground sage

Combine and use with 8 ounces ground turkey or lean beef.

Salsa Vinegar

4 large red jalape?o peppers, quartered lengthwise
3 scallions with green tops, well washed
12 large sprigs fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves, peeled and halved
3 cups good white wine vinegar

Trim tops of scallions to fit the bottle. Stuff the jalape?os, scallions, cilantro and garlic  into a tall, decorative, 1-quart bottle. Fill the bottle with the vinegar to completely cover the ingredients. Seal the bottle and let it stand in a cool, dark place for at least 2 weeks before using.

Salad Seasoning

2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1 tablespoon marjoram
1 tablespoon basil
1 tablespoon dried chives
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 tablespoon dill weed
1 teaspoon pepper