Andalusian Gazpacho

Do you ever have recipes that you seem to favor over others, and that you make again and again? That’s how it used to be with gazpacho and me. I have always been an avid grower of tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, and there is nothing better when you’re overloaded with this kind of produce than a bowl of gazpacho. Over the last number of years, for whatever reason, I stopped making it. It wasn’t until I was paging through the lovely (and free) My French Country Home online magazine that I was introduced to it again, Andalusian style. I have always considered gazpacho to be a spoonful of summer, and with this recipe I have once again been proved right.

Andalusian Gazpacho

 6 ripe red tomatoes

2 small red peppers

1 cucumber

2 scallions

1 garlic clove

Generous ½ c. olive oil, extra 4 T. for serving

2 T. red wine vinegar

1 small glass water

2 drops Tabasco

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

8 slices toasted bread, rubbed with fresh garlic

 Peel and seed tomatoes and peppers, saving one of the tomatoes and half of a bell pepper to decorate.

 Peel the cucumber saving a 2½” portion for later.

 Remove the roots from the scallions and set aside; peel the garlic.

 Place all of the ingredients into the work bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Continue to pulse until desired texture is reached. Chill for one hour.

 In the meantime, dice the tomato, pepper half, remaining scallion, and cucumber chunk. After gazpacho has sufficiently chilled, ladle it into soup bowls, top it with the chopped vegetables, and serve with the garlic bread.

 Serves 4-6

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