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choose to serve, and warm until everything is heated through. Serve the soup in warmed bowls, sprinkled with more dill.
    OR present the chicken separately, either as another course, along with coarse salt, horseradish, and pickles, if using, or at another meal.

    CHILLED MINTED CUCUMBER SOUP
    yield: ABOUT 8 SERVINGS
    Utterly refreshing on a hot day or sultry evening, this gorgeous celadon soup makes a fine starter, or when served in attractive mugs or glasses, an unusual accompaniment to a summer Shabbat dinner or lunch or to a Shavuot meal. Or offer it in demitasse cups, a family collection of china teacups, or oversized shotglasses for a stunning break-the-fast drink on Yom Kippur.
    The only cooking here is boiling water for the mint tea which, along with the yogurt, provides the structure of the soup and subtly underscores the fresh mint and dill flavoring. To make the soup richer, you can use all or some labneh or a combination of yogurt and sour cream as a substitute for the yogurt.
    For a delicate garlic flavor without the back-of-the-throat harshness of the raw cloves, the garlic infuses the soup as it chills but is plucked out just before pureeing. To find the garlic easily, spear the cloves with toothpicks before you add them to the soup.
    4 cups peeled, seeded, chopped cucumbers (scoop out the seeds with a spoon)
    Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
    1 quart plain yogurt or labneh (4 cups), or a combination of labneh or sour cream and yogurt
    3 cups freshly brewed mint tea (use caffeine-free herbal mint tea), cooled
    1 ⁄ 3 cup fresh mint leaves, tightly packed, plus additional for garnish
    1 ⁄ 4 cup fresh dill leaves
    Best-quality extra virgin olive oil or a fine walnut or other nut oil (optional)
    IN a large bowl, stir together the cucumbers, about 1 1 ⁄ 2 teaspoons salt and a few grindings of pepper. Add the garlic, then beat in the yogurt or labneh and tea. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
    SCOOP out the garlic and discard it. Stir in the mint and dill. Puree the soup in the blender in batches. (A food processor will not produce the same smooth texture). This soup tastes best a little salty, so adjust the seasoning.
    IF serving the soup as a first course, ladle it into bowls and, if you like, dribble a bit of fine oil on top. To serve as a beverage accompaniment to a meal, spoon the soup into tall glasses or cups. Garnish with fresh mint leaves.

    COOK’S NOTE: The soup can be prepared a day ahead. Puree, then return it to the refrigerator until ready to serve.

    GEFILTE FISH QUICKLY STEAMED BETWEEN CABBAGE LEAVES
    yield: ABOUT 8 SERVINGS
    Inspired by the Chinese method for preparing tender, soft dumplings, I cushion these wonderfully delicate fish balls between cabbage leaves for a gentle twenty-minute steam bath. The wet vapor helps preserve all the subtle flavors of the fish while the nutty-sweet cabbage wrapper keeps it moist as it steams, and later as it chills without broth in the refrigerator.
    The fish mixture here is particularly delicious. Extra egg yolks and a little pureed carrot and parsnip bring added flavor and a lush softness. No fish broth, but a bit of the liquid from cooking the sweet vegetables moistens the matzoh meal filler.
    The result is gefilte fish brimful of flavor yet light and fresh tasting. To complement it, mellow the horseradish’s fire with some mayonnaise seasoned with fresh dill.
    FOR THE FISH BALLS
    1 ⁄ 3 cup diced, scraped carrots
    1 ⁄ 3 cup diced, peeled parsnips
    3 tablespoons matzoh meal
    2 tablespoons mild olive or canola oil
    1 1 ⁄ 2 cups coarsely chopped onion
    Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    1 tablespoon chopped shallots
    2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus 16 additional sprigs
    2 pounds fish fillets, skin and any bones removed and discarded, rinsed to remove any scales, patted dry, and cut into 1-inch pieces; or 2 pounds fish ground by your fishmonger (see