The cukes and squash are plentiful and here come the 'maters! It is amazingly hot, unusually so for this time of year in the 20141, which can make mealtime a chore. I mean who really wants to grill, bake or broil....even when you LOVE to cook! Immediately we begin thinking of the cooler side of the culinary arts. Let's talk soups, yes I said soup, Summertime soup – the collaboration of fruits and vegetables offered up cool and ever so yummy and refreshing bowl of goodness!!
There are plenty of choices from strawberry to beet to cantaloupe to one of our favorites – Gazpacho!! In our market baskets from Stoneybrook Farm CSA we had all the right ingredients, and then some. This past weekend marked our 5th anniversary and we threw a little party with live music in our backyard and had a blast. Thankfully Mother Nature bestowed a beautiful day for us on Saturday - low temps, no humidity and an ever so wonderful breeze which made our special event even better. In deciding what to feed the musicians we thought, why not serve soup? Soon a batch of Gazpacho was ready to go, and since it disappeared in between sets it must have been a-ok.
Here is our recipe along with some options for how you can use this cool summer treat.
Bill's Gosh Darn Good Gazpacho
2 Cucumbers
1 Green Pepper
1 Jalapeno
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Yellow Onion
1 Teaspoon each – fresh chopped – Parsley, Thyme, Basil and Cilantro
Put each of the above ingredients through the meat grinder attachment of your KitchenAid Mixer. If you do not have one, pulse each ingredient in a food processor just till minced. Mix them altogether in a bowl.
24 oz. V-8 Juice
Juice of 2 limes
¼ cup Red Wine Vinegar
3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
Chill overnight to let all the flavors meld together.....serve with a dollop of sour cream.
Options:
Add squash to the mix
Serve a good helping over a block of room temperature cream cheese with crackers for a different appetizer/party munchie
Use as spaghetti sauce – especially good in a vegetarian lasagna
Thin down with Bloody Mary mix, add vodka, lime wedge and a stalk of celery and rim the glass with a bit of Old Bay Seasoning - YUMM
Cheers!!
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