Goodbye Summer Gazpacho

Goodbye sunny beach days, breezy boat rides, afternoon barbecues, and heaping cones of mint chocolate chip ice cream. Today marks the start of a new season. Fall brings vibrant foliage, extreme apple picking (yes, it exists) and pumpkin-flavored everything. As one last hurrah, we decided to include one of our favorite late-summer recipes, gazpacho

The first time Kara traveled to Spain was during her junior year of college. She completely immersed herself in Madrid’s language, art, and most importantly the food. We think you either love or hate Spanish food. The massive amounts of garlic and oil can sometimes be too overpowering for people. We are big enthusiasts. We love the regional variations on paella, cured meats, blood sausage, garlicky green olives, and aged cheeses (Manchego as an all time favorite). Living with a Spanish host family, Kara’s “Señora,” Marta showed her many traditional dishes, including Tortilla Española, croquettas, roasted red peppers, and gazpacho. This is a no-fail recipe:

Gazpacho
1 clove garlic
1/4 of an onion
1/4 of a green pepper
1/4 of a red pepper
1 peeled cucumber
1/2 slice white bread, pre-soaked in water (or tomato juice)
1/8 t cumin
6-7 medium sized red vine tomatoes
1/2 c EVOO
3 T vinegar
1/2 c water
salt and pepper throughout

Combine all ingredients in a blender and enjoy! It’s that easy.

This refreshing soup is perfect as a starter, accompanied by a fresh corn and avocado salad, a Serrano ham and Manchego panini, or a slab of artisan olive bread. To add to the bright red presentation, we sprinkle a confetti of chopped red peppers, cucumbers and olives on top of each serving.