gazpacho

We have just reached the end of the beautiful and exhausting wedding weekend of our friends Sue and Jared. Noel was in the wedding party, and I made a chocolate Guinness cake for the reception.




We danced, we drank, we ate rich food. The evening was sparkly and magical, and I think we're both still recovering.

Today we tried to refocus on the week ahead, and made a commitment to eat less butter (we've been a little indulgent, of late...mussels in anchovy butter and white whine broth, mmmm. I digress...)

So lunch today was garden gazpacho. We have been overrun with tomatoes around here, and I'm always looking for new ways to use them up before they spoil. (Suggestions?)

We've had tomato salads, sauces, pastas, pico de gallo, egg sandwiches with tomato, bruschetta, and now this delicious soup.

This is my attempt to quantify the recipe, which until now has been a very haphazard and successful throwing of veggies into a pot. I'd go lightly on the seasonings at first, as this is an approximation of what I did. You can always add more later.



2 lbs fresh tomatoes, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded, finely chopped (to taste)
3 medium cucumbers, partially peeled, chopped
10-15 leaves of fresh basil
leaves from 3-4 sprigs of oregano
leaves from 3-4 sprigs of thyme
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
Juice of one lemon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne (optional)
salt and pepper
1 cup water

Throw everything into a pot and puree with an immersion blender, or in a stand blender in batches. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Serve with a plate of fresh garnishes: cilantro, more basil, scallions, and hard boiled egg. Drizzle with olive oil, and add a little cracked black pepper on top.