My colleague Kyle brought cucumbers from her garden to the office, graciously sharing the bounty of her nine (!) plants. These were no ordinary cukes; nay, they were the size of small missiles. Since I failed two years in a row with cucumbers, I snatched one up pronto.
With this vision dancing in my head: cukes + tomatoes = gazpacho! The Spanish-inspired summer soup is one of my all-time favorites.
Everyone has a favorite gazpacho recipe. Some puree their gazpacho smooth. Some put bread in it as a thickener (truly Spanish). Lore claims that Christopher Columbus went forth on his explorations with an early version of it. I am not surprised.
My “recipe” is so eclectic that no batch is ever the same, but I like a toothsome gazpacho, with some chunks of veg so you appreciate the produce that made it possible. My secret ingredient is V-8. What’s your recipe?
Take a bow, tomatoes and cukes – you are a pairing made in heaven.
Saylor Place Gazpacho
1 small cuke or half of one of Kyle’s giant cukes, peeled & seeded
Several tomatoes, seeded
Half a bell pepper, seeded
Two tablespoons onion (Vidalia, scallions, chives, whatever is at hand)
Two small cloves garlic
Couple squirts of a umami item, like Worcestershire or soy sauce
Tablespoon of red wine vinegar
Tablespoon of olive oil
Sprinkle of CRR’s hot pepper flakes
V-8 juice
Salt/pepper
Whirl the veg in batches in your food processor to the size desired. Dump into a pitcher. Add V-8 in roughly a 2-to-1 proportion to the other ingredients, but hey, it’s up to you. The V-8 essentially provides the liquid base for the soup. Briskly whisk together until the oil emulsifies. Season to taste. Chill or serve at room temp.
Sandy Johnson is a journalist and a gardener, equally passionate about both. She lives in Alexandria, VA. Visit her on her blog, Grassroots & Gardening
I CANNOT wait until my tomatoes come ripe so I can make some of my own. Taste of summer in a bowl for sure.
We had Gazpacho last night made with Johnson/Raasch garden tomatoes. It’s was really good, but I’ll try your recipe next time.
glad you got a few tomatoes as reward for watering in the 100-degree heat!