There is nothing more refreshing on a hot summer day than a glass or bowl of chilled gazpacho. Everyone has their favorite recipe, which, if you are Spanish, comes handed down from your mother or your grandmother, since gazpacho is said to have originated in the Andalusian region of southern Spain.
Classic ingredients include tomatoes--at their peak, of course, in the summer--cucumbers and garlic. But interesting variations, like those featured in the recipe below, now include a range of fresh fruits and vegetables. Gazpacho can be eaten with chilled shrimp, crusty bread, and garnished with hard-boiled eggs or chopped ham. Here is a delicious nouvelle recipe from Gina Cucina, a CO-based company that ships its organic soups around the US. Buen provecho!
Gina Cucina Sunset Gazpacho
2 cucumbers, peeled and pureed
1 English cucumber, diced
1 cantaloupe, ½ puree ½ balled
1 pineapple, ½ puree ½ diced
1-inch serrano pepper
¼ cup fresh lime juice
6 ouces. blackberries, quartered
Puree two regular cucumbers, ½ cantaloupe, ½ pineapple and one inch of serrano pepper. Add in the lime juice. Place in refrigerator to set.
Dice the English cucumber and the remaining pineapple. Ball the rest of the cantaloupe. Quarter the blackberries. Add all into the broth. Mix gently. Chill for one hour in martini glasses and serve. Garnish with fresh strawberries and basil.