Liquid sunshine: market gazpacho

Vegetables for gazpacho/Photo by Rebecca Wheeler

I have bad news. Winter is coming…eventually. Definitely sooner than any Chicagoan would like. Now the good news: tomatoes are here! Please don’t let the fruits of summer pass you by. That’s a reminder for myself as much as anyone. Occasionally I skip the farmer’s market-I don’t feel like going, I get lazy, or I soak up the AC in my house. This year, I am making no excuses, reminding myself that winter will be back and I will kick myself for any week missed as I weep over cardboard tomatoes at the Jewel. 

Blending/ Photo by Rebecca Wheeler

So in celebration of tomatoes, I have a simple golden gazpacho that embodies the best of summer cooking: no long ingredient lists, tedious prep or hot stove. This chilled soup is summer in a jar-you just blend it up and season it to taste.

All the vegetables are roughly chopped to give them a head start in the blender. A little liquid helps the blending, or you may need to use a plunger or wooden spoon to break the vacuum that sometimes forms at the bottom-just be careful not to hit the blade. I used my Vitamix blender, surely the most worth it expensive kitchen gadget I have-this thing can perform miracles and holds special status in our house. I planned to use a Serrano pepper in the soup for a nice heat, but in light of the recent FDA announcement that serranos are linked to salmonella outbreaks, I skipped it and ditched the one in my fridge. The soup was lovely without it and had a nice acidity with a touch of sweetness. This is the time to use a really good extra virgin olive oil as there is no cooking to alter the flavor. A sprinkle of a good sea salt makes the dish pop and adds a nice bit of texture.

Photo by Rebecca Wheeler

Soak up the summer while you can. I’ll provide ideas and you can join me in my “no excuses” quest to enjoy summer’s harvest.

Golden Market Gazpacho
Serves 4 (large portions) 6(small portions)
Recipe from Rebecca Wheeler

4 medium to large yellow tomatoes (I used orange blossoms from Tomato Mountain farm), cored and roughly chopped
1 small torpedo onion, or 1 small red onion
1 medium cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped
1 medium yellow pepper, seeds and ribs removed, roughly chopped
¼ cup good extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar (I used an Agro-dolce vinegar-SO good)
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Pinch white pepper
Generous pinch of sugar, as needed
Garnish (prepare just before serving)
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 small heirloom tomato, cored and diced
Good extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Sea salt

Place all the chopped vegetables (not the garnish) plus the olive oil and vinegar in a blender and process until very smooth. You may need to work in batches depending on your blender capacity. Strain the soup* through a mesh sieve or colander. Stir in the salt, pepper and sugar, tasting as you go to get the right flavor.

Chill for an hour or two to let the flavors develop. To serve, ladle into bowls and top with a few avocado and tomato pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle sea salt on the tomato and avocado pieces. Serve immediately.

*You do not have to strain the soup, but it improves the texture quite a bit by removing any tiny pieces of tomato skin and cucumber seeds.