Gazpacho

Tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are all here and this is the perfect time to make gazpacho! The ingredients are very simple and it’s a great way to practice your knife skills…If you prefer a smoother (or faster) gazpacho, you can chop all the veggies in the food processor. When I make gazpacho, I use different color tomatoes for beauty, variety of texture and also flavor.

So, make your way to the farm market or your back yard, make this and you’ll have a delicious snack, appetizer, lunch…

Gazpacho
Makes 2 ½ quarts

  • 1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced
  • ½ onion, diced
  • 2-3 cloves of really fresh garlic, minced
  • 1 green pepper, diced
  • 6# of ripe tomatoes- chop 4# in small pieces and save 2# for the blender
  • ¾ cup tomato juice
  • ¼ c mixed fresh herbs, finely chopped- I use parsley, dill and basil
  • ¼ c good quality olive oil
  • 1 t sherry vinegar
  • 1 ½ t sea salt
  • 1 t pepper
  • Hot sauce to taste

Directions

  1. Put the diced cucumber, onion, garlic, green pepper and chopped tomatoes in a bowl.
  2. Pour the tomato juice in the blender with salt, pepper and 2# of set aside tomatoes. Blend until smooth and add to bowl.
  3. Add in the herbs, olive oil, vinegar and hot sauce. Stir together and adjust the seasonings.
  4. Keep the gazpacho in a glass container in the fridge. You can serve it immediately but I think it tastes best after the first day.