A Cool Meal For Those Hot Summer Nights (or days)

Last night I served this (see above) for the Mr. and I. We both LOVED it. I also sliced a whole wheat loaf and baked it with a little butter, garlic and sea salt. The crusty bread slices pair terrifically with this meal. And as a garnish, I topped the Gazpacho with diced avocado and a dollop of Creme Fraiche. Yum!


Recipe for Gazpacho:

1 hothouse cucumber, halved and seeded, but not peeled
1 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
1 orange bell peppers, cored and seeded
4 plum tomatoes, seeded
1 red onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups tomato juice
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
juice of half a lemon
chopped cilantro

Roughly chop the cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, and red onions into 1-inch cubes. Put each vegetable separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until it is coarsely chopped. Do not over process!
After each vegetable is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Mix well and chill before serving. The longer gazpacho sits, the more the flavors develop. Enjoy!