If you can, make this soup in the morning for the evening meal giving it plenty of time to cool and meld.  Serve w/ crusty bread for dipping!

Gazpacho-California Style

          I’ve noticed that gazpacho has evolved into a creamy cold soup but growing up it was never creamy, just cool and chock full of finely diced veggies and topped w/ a dollop of cultured sour cream on special occasions.

The trick to a good gazpacho is acquiring tomato water. It’s not the same as tomato juice. In our home this soup only happens during tomato canning season, using the left over liquid that accumulates after you’ve slipped the skins and the tomatoes are placed in a large tub, awaiting canning.

If you’re not canning try this method:

Using 4-5 lbs of ripe tomatoes:

1. In a non-reactive sauce pan bring 5 cups of water to a rolling boil.  Make sure it’s deep enough to cover the whole tomatoes.
2. Working w/ 3-4 tomatoes at a time gently drop the whole tomatoes into the boiling water for 2 minutes.
3. Remove w/ a slotted spoon into a bowl.  Let them cool a bit.
4. Gently pull the skin away and discard the skin.
5. Continue until you’ve removed the skin from all of your tomatoes.
6. SAVE ALL OF THE LIQUID IN BOTH THE BOILING POT AND THE BOWL THAT HELD THE HOT TOMATOES
7. Combine the liquid so you have about 5-6 cups of tomato water

Add:

• 5-6 cups of diced tomato (save any extra for sauces or salsa)
• 1 Tb sea salt
• 3-4  cucumbers– peeled, seeded and finely chopped
• 4 green or red bell peppers-seeded and finely chopped
• 1-2 jalapenos-seeded and finely minced
• 1 red onion– finely minced
• 3 avocados– diced
• 1-2 limes– squeezed into the mixture
• 3 Tb sherry vinegar
• 1 Tb cumin
• 1 cup cilantro– chopped
• Tabasco Sauce-1/2 tsp
• 1/3 cup good olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Chill for at least 3-4 hours before serving.

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