You Say Gazpacho (I Also Say Gazpacho)

One of the nice things about Hell encroaching on Earth is that tomatoes have arrived early! Unfortunately, it also means they won’t be around for long. Never one to dally in the face of impending doom, I’m cramming as much tomato fruit into my mouth as humanly possible.

This, of course, includes plenty of BLTs and tomato-mozzarella-basil concoctions. But for pure tomatoey goodness, I gots to have my gazpacho. Lady Akin says it’s the best gazpacho in the world, and who am I to disagree with such profound wisdom? Though there are many styles of gazpacho, I prefer mine simple and smooth.

Simple and Smooth Golden Gazpacho
2 pounds of golden tomatoes, stemmed, chunked (any heirloom tomato will do, but I prefer golden)
1 large cucumber (or 2 smaller cucumbers or 8 really tiny cucumbers or half of a giant cucumber), chunked
1 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, chunked
1 shallot, minced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 c. sherry vinegar (good stuff)
1/2 c. olive oil (good stuff)
Salt, black pepper, and Sriracha, to taste

This recipe is a starting point. Depending on how sweet/tart/acidic your tomatoes are, you might need to add more vinegar or even a dash of orange juice. Trust your tastebuds.

As for directions, it’s pretty simple. Puree the first four ingredients in the blender. Then add the other stuff and puree until it tastes delicious. As with most soups, make a day ahead and adjust seasoning before serving.

Here I garnished with lemon oil and fresh dill because I had those things. But it’s delicious with about any combination of avocado, shrimp, bacon, cilantro, creme fraiche or Greek yogurt, and croutons.