Cucumber Basil Gazpacho

Cucumber Basil Gazpacho

• 1 ripe avocado, meat removed
• 1 cucumber: skin left on, seeds removed
• 2 small handfuls fresh basil
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 scallions, both green and whites
• 2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoons fruit-infused vinegar (or lime juice)

Mix all ingredients in a high powered blender until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight (even better!). Serve cold, garnished with diced cucumber and a basil leaf, if desired. I've found that this soup keeps well in the fridge for at least 4 days.

This recipe (which happens to be: gluten free, raw, and vegan) is from Allyson Kramer and her blog Eat Good Food.

Rustic Peach Gazpacho

Rustic Peach Gazpacho

3 ripe peaches
maple syrup
6 sm-med tomatoes, chopped - heirloom are my favorite!
1 small (or half of a large) English cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 c sweet onion, finely chopped
25 mint leaves, rinsed
1/4 c fresh basil (or about 50 leaves), rinsed
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 T red wine vinegar
1 T fresh lemon juice
1/2 T tomato paste
1/4 t smoked paprika - yes, you MUST used smoked instead of regular - it's the magic ingredient!
1/2 t sea salt
fresh ground pepper to taste
1 T extra virgin olive oil

Slice peaches in half, and remove the pits. Arrange on a baking sheet, cut side up, and drizzle with maple syrup. Place under a broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until deep golden brown. Remove, and let cool.

Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a large bowl. Use an immersion blender to blend everything to a creamy consistency, or, you can use a traditional blender or food processer and blend the ingredients in small batches - then combine. Once you have achieved a smooth soup, continue blending as you slowly drizzle in the olive oil.

Let chill for at least 8 hours. I usually make mine the day before we eat it - as with most gazpachos, the flavors really come together over time.

Garnish with croutons, chives, and peach slices, if desired.

This soup is amazing alongside sandwiches or paninis, excellent as an interesting first course, and also pairs well with BBQ.

Original recipe found HERE on the Emma Frisch blog. As usual, I just tweaked it a bit to suit our tastes and my cooking style!

Soba Noodles With Asparagus

Soba Noodles with Asparagus

1 package buckwheat soba noodles, cooked to al dente, drained and rinsed
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2″ lengths and blanched
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2″ pieces
1 c. cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1-2 spring onions, sliced
1 c. cooked chicken chopped or shredded
small handful cilantro leaves, minced
1/3 c. roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Dressing:

freshly squeezed juice of two limes
1 Tbs. fish sauce
1 Tbs. siracha (to taste)
1 Tbs. water
2 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. tamari sauce
2 Tbs. toasted sesame oil

Make dressing.  Place lime juice, fish sauce, chile sauce, sugar and tamari in a small bowl. Whisk in sesame oil until well blended.

Place all salad ingredients together in a large bowl, reserving a small amount of peanuts and cilantro for garnish.  Add dressing, toss well, garnish and serve.

Watermelon Gazpacho

Got a yummy taste of fresh-summer-in-a-bowl to share with you today: Watermelon Gazpacho.

Last time we stayed at our beloved Keswick Hall, the Villa chef made a delicious version of this refreshing cold soup for lunch. It was love at first bite (sip? slurp?) and I was determined to find or make a similar recipe when we got home. After a little experimenting, and using other recipes I found as guides, here is my final product. We love it, and think it tastes even better if you make it, and then let the flavors meld overnight (the onion mellows overnight, so don't freak out if it's strong when you first make it). So easy, light, fresh, healthy, and delicious, everyone should put some Watermelon Gazpacho on their menu for the week. Great as an appetizer, first course, BBQ side, or paired with a panini.

Watermelon Gazpacho

1 large tomato, chopped
1 serrano chili seeded and chopped (in leiu of this, you can use 1/2 t red pepper flakes)
3 cups watermelon, chopped or balled
1/4 cup sweet onion (or less, if you don't like an oniony after-taste), chopped
1 small cucumber peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded, and chopped
1/8 cup fresh mint leaves
3 T fresh lime juice
2 T raspberry wine vinegar

Use an immersion blender to liquefy all ingredients -OR- blend all ingredients together in small batches using a blender or food processor. Combine all batches, stir well, cover, and refrigerate until serving. Garnish with mint if desired. Tastes even better the second day!