Ah Summer Tomato Gazpacho! A blender base is topped with Summer Heirloom Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Herbs… Simply Divine!
Gazpacho is so refreshing on a hot summer’s day, it cools the body and refreshes our senses with local, natural, just-picked ingredients. Perfect at lunch time when it’s the hottest part of the day… and really does make a stunning first course for any party or celebration.
Tomatoes – with all their flamboyant colors, textures, sizes and flavors are all the rave at farmers’ markets and quality shops right now – in the heat of summer. They are my favorite fruit (not a vegetable… sorry V-8!) as I consume them every day in salads, sandwiches, sautés – and soup. (… V8 juices does contain veggies.) I’m so sad to see them vanish by early October, so I am savoring every sweet, dripping bite while I can!
While in Sagaponack last weekend, on the East-End of Long Island, I purchased these tomatoes from a few local growers. I was so excited to see the small, baby-sized “Matt’s Wild Cherry Tomato” and the voluptuous Aunt Ruby’s German Green – my favorites!
Gazpacho is a special raw, cold soup – it’s base dates back to the Spanish region of Andalusia using soaked bread, garlic, oil, vinegar and salt. Other vegetables were added later to the recipe, as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers were available, and very complementary.
No two bowls of Gazpacho are ever the same. Chefs and cooks blend, whirl and chop certain ingredients into distinctive, personal textures that suit their palate. I use this blender.
What’s so easy and delicious about my version?
Cold blended soup base – with Diced Cucumbers, ROOM TEMPERATURE Tomatoes and fresh herbs. Tomatoes are at their fullest flavor un-chilled – so I add them, and a lot of them when I serve the soup. Taste the soup base from the blender to determine it’s spiciness, texture and acidity. Add the toppings at serving with a swirl of good, fruity extra virgin olive oil and fresh herbs of your choice.
This soup is low in calories (yet filling), high in antioxidants, raw and vegan, with a gluten-free option – see recipe.
Keeping cool,
Karen
Have enjoyed many of your recipes